Dark Redemption
by FallenAngel2013
Summary: Vestara's task was simple: seduce Ben Skywalker into joining the Dark Side. But that is easier said than done, and soon the young Sith begins to wonder just where her loyalty truly lies... Previously posted in 2011
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **_**Set after **_**Vortex**_**.**_

_**To those who recognize this fanfic, it had previously been posted in 2011, but due to losing the chapters I'd had finished that were ready to be added to this story – somehow the thumb drive I had them only fell out of my bag at the university I attend – I became discouraged and eventually took it down a while back. I actually only had a few random chapters of 1-13 saved on my laptop itself (I thought they were all saved but turns out only a few were and the rest were on that thumb drive). Since I couldn't recall what I had written exactly in the chapters I lost and couldn't foresee finishing it, I decided it might be best to just remove it. **_

_**In the days that followed taking it down, I received quite a few PMs asking why it was taken down and asking if it could be put back up and continued. I said I'd repost this if my muse came back, and it did, but I also found out that one of my friends still had some of the chapters and notes for the story saved on her computer (sometimes I worked on it at my friend's place and saved the stuff both on the thumb drive and her computer). So, I'm reposting it!**_

_**Chapters 1 through 13 were what had been previously posted, and every few days I will be uploading one of those chapters. I'd upload it all at once, but I want to get people into the story rather than post it all upfront. That and I still have stuff to edit and revise (I'm going to correct spelling and grammar and all that).**_

_**Once it hits Chapter 14, the chapters will be new.**_

_**One change that I made was a little edit in the title. The reason why I've added "**_**Dark**_**" to the title when it was previously simply called "**_**Redemption**_**" will be made known in new chapters later on.**_

**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own **_**Star Wars**_**. I'm just playing in the sandbox.**_

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When she was a little girl, Vestara asked her father what killing felt like. He replied that it was easy and that you didn't feel anything but satisfaction when taking a life. Since then she'd killed a lot of people of various species'. Killing was easy, her father was right about that, and it was something she was very good at. And for a long time she did only feel satisfaction when she killed, but lately it was getting harder to live with the things she'd done and the things she was currently doing.

Everything was backwards. Black and white was starting to blend together, confusing young Vestara. And it was all Ben Skywalker's fault.

Before she met the Jedi, things had been simple, everything made sense, and she'd never lost sleep over a decision she made. But now, as she quietly made her way to the sleeping Jedi's quarters, things were confusing and guilt slowly ate away at her as she thought about what she was about to do. It was strange to feel guilty, being an emotion she wasn't use to feeling, but heading to Ben's quarters with the intent of using his feelings for her against him and seducing him planted a seed of guilt in her chest. She cared about him, more than she should, and she didn't want to use him like this. But she still had some hope that maybe she could bring him to the Dark Side and make him a Sith like her. Maybe then she would earn back her father's trust. More importantly, she wouldn't have to be enemies with Ben anymore.

Silently walking down the narrow corridors of the_ Jade Shadow_, Vestara paused at Luke's door, listening with her ear pressed to the steel and reaching out with the Force.

Just as she'd planned, the Master Jedi was out cold. The drug she'd put in his drink was potent stuff. He wouldn't be waking up for hours.

Earlier when they stopped on the nearest civilized planet to refuel, Vestara had managed to wander off long enough to find and purchase a vile of the toxin from a plant and the vaccine for it. Both were costly, but with a little persuasion she'd gotten them for free. While the toxin was more or less harmless, it would knock a bantha out cold for hours. The vaccine kept those who worked near the plants immune to the effects.

Before boarding the _Shadow_, she'd slipped the vaccine into Ben's drink after she took some as well. The reason for that was so that she could poison Luke without him catching on. When they were all getting ready to sleep, she spiked the jug of juice that had been opened earlier and purposefully poured herself a cup and drank from it while Luke kept half an eye on her. He'd fallen for it flawlessly and drank some of the juice, convinced that it was fine since she had drank some. Shortly after he had retired to his quarters, suddenly very tired. No doubt he would be suspicious of her in the morning, but right now he wasn't a concern.

Passing by his quarters, she soon found herself standing direct in front of the doors to Ben's room.

Suddenly she felt very cold and nervous. The cold could be due to her only wearing black panties and a thin black tank top, but the nervousness that she felt could only come from being a virgin. This wasn't how she planned to lose what remained of her innocence. She wanted… well, she didn't want the first time to be by using someone she admittedly cared deeply about. While she had thought about sleeping with Ben, she'd hoped it would be under better circumstances, but she was desperate to earn back the trust of the Sith and if she got Ben to sleep with her, fall for her, then she could possibly bring him to her side. That should be enough to redeem her in her father's eyes.

Sighing, she leaned forward, resting her forehead on the cool steel. No matter how she tried to sugar-coat what she was going to do, she felt horrible.

Taking a deep breath and running her fingers through her hair, free from its usual braid, she waved the door opened with the Force and stepped inside, shutting and locking it behind her.

The room was cast in shadows, but Vestara could see Ben fairly well in the dark room.

On his side, the sheets were pulled halfway up his chest and the sound of his soft snoring filled her ears, making her smile. She wouldn't have thought of him to be a snorer. It was rather cute.

Pushing back her nervousness and negativity, she sauntered towards the bed and ever so gently pushed the young Jedi to his back whilst simultaneously pulling the sheets away. Ben grunted in his sleep, shivering from the cold, but didn't wake up. Without hesitation, she climbed onto the bed, swinging her leg over him so that she straddled his boxer clad hips.

Pausing momentarily, she took a second to just admire him. It was hard to tell when he was clothed in his black trousers and tunic, but he was quite muscular and she idly trailed her fingers lightly along his abs. Her dark brown eyes locked onto his face and she reached for a lock of red hair that had fallen in his eyes, brushing it away. All her life she had thought she was more attracted to those with dark brown or black hair, but now she realized that she loved the fire red shade of Ben's hair and that he'd ruined any chance of her becoming attracted to anyone but him.

Throughout her musings, Ben had yet to wake despite the brushing up her fingers against his abs, her hand resting on his cheek, and the delicate weight of her settled on his hips. He really was a deep sleeper. Since she didn't plan on taking advantage of him in his sleep, she leaned forward and ran her lips along his neck before placing a kiss at the column of his throat, nipping tenderly at the skin in an attempt to wake him.

At last, the Jedi began to stir and she kissed his chin.

Stretching his arms, Ben opened one eye wearily before frowning and opening both. "Ves? What…?" He attempted to sit up and became aware that the scantily clad Sith was straddling him. "What are you doing?"

Vestara smiled sweetly, running a finger along his cheek. "I was thinking about you and couldn't sleep."

"Uh…all right," he said, voice shaking from a mixture of caution and hormones. When Vestara kissed his throat again, he hissed, "Can you not do that?"

Smiling against his pale skin, she asked sweetly, "Are there other places you'd rather I kissed?"

A groan vibrated through his chest, making her shiver. "Vestara, stop it," he said firmly, albeit reluctantly.

Sighing, she sat up straight, sultry smile still in place, and she murmured whilst trailing her hands down his chest, "Just relax, Ben."

As her fingers of one hand traveled past his navel, Ben grabbed her wrist. "What are you doing?" he demanded, propping himself up on his elbow.

When it was clear that things would not progress until he received and answer, she replied softly, "I know I've screwed up in the past, and I know that you have no reason to trust me, but I need you, Ben." She put as much emotion as she could into her words. It wasn't hard because she was telling him the truth. She was just telling him the truth for the wrong reasons. "You've been there for me when others would have removed my head from my shoulders. I can't decide if you're brave for having so much faith in me or if you're the biggest fool in the galaxy."

Ben gave her a shaky laugh. "A bit of both probably."

She smiled and continued, voice taking on a more sensual tone, "Ben, I _need _you in more ways than one. I want you, and I know you want me too." As the words left her mouth, she took Ben's other hand with her free one and placed it on her bare thigh, encouraging him to touch her, smile widening as his face flushed. "I'm not blind. I've seen how you've looked at me. It's okay," she assured him softly, bringing his hand under her shirt.

Breathing uneven, the young Jedi gradually began to loosen up and she was able to release his hand and let him explore her curves on his own. Letting go of her wrist, he pulled her thin shirt up just under her breasts, laying his palm flat against her toned belly.

Eyes fluttering shut, Vestara sighed, his hesitant touch bringing all sorts of feelings to the surface.

Emboldened by her response and having the curious mind of a teenage boy, Ben brought his hands to her cotton clad breasts and the Sith gasped, surprised by the sudden boldness. When he shifted beneath her, she became acutely aware of his member pressing against her center and ground her hips into his, whimpering as she did and receiving a low groan from Ben.

Before she could react, Ben reached up, tangling his fingers in her brown hair as he pulled her lips down to his in a deep, awkward kiss. It was slow and shy and when it became clear that he wouldn't take the lead, she did and ran her tongue over his lips. Instinct caused him to allow her access and his free arm wrapped around her, holding her close as her tongue brushed against his again and again.

Breaking their heated kiss, he pushed her back just enough to gaze at her face. Tenderly his thumb traced the scar at the corner of her lips.

"I love that scar," he admitted quietly.

His gentle touch and words nearly drove the Sith to tears. All her life that damn scar had been a flaw amongst her people, something ugly that no one liked. No one had ever said they loved it. No one had ever been so good to her. She hated him for it, for it made what she was doing that much harder.

Instead of replying, she placed a passionate kiss on his lips and this time it was his tongue that sought entrance. When Ben began sitting up, she was forced to sit up as well but she let him take control and didn't ask questions.

Without a word, he rolled them over, pinning Vestara to the mattress. Beneath him, she felt small and fragile. He wasn't the tallest human, but he was taller and far more muscular than she was, and she was suddenly intimidated and she tensed. Ben must have sensed this because his kiss became less frantic, becoming slow and gentle, causing her to lose herself.

Pulling back as his hand trailed down her side to her thigh, he said, half serious and breathing heavily, "We shouldn't be doing this. If my dad walks in we're both dead."

Breathlessly, she threaded her fingers in his hair, pulling him back to her. "Don't worry, I took care of it," she replied and instantly knew she'd made a big mistake when he tensed.

Face flushed, Ben looked down at her suspiciously. "What do you mean, you took care of it? What did you do?"

"I…" Frantically she searched through her mind for an answer, a believable lie, and came up blank. Sighing, she replied, "I might have slipped something into his drink."

"You did _what_?" he demanded, voice raised and the mood broken. "What did you give him?"

"Relax, it's basically a heavy duty sleeping pill. He'll wake up in a few hours. But until then…" she was about to attempt to salvage the situation when she felt the subtle yet instant probing in her head and frowned. Too late did she realize that Ben was trying to sense her intentions. While she doubted he found enough to pinpoint what she was up to, he definitely knew that her intentions were dark and not just warm and fuzzy.

As though she were disease ridden, Ben jumped off her and looked at her with contempt as he backed away from his bed. "What are you up to?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Skywalker," she lied, straightening her tank top and getting out of bed, making her way to the door.

Ben stopped her, grabbing her by the arms and holding her inches from him. "I want to believe you came here because of what you told me, I do, but I don't, so why don't you tell me why you really came in here?"

"I told you the truth, Ben," Vestara insisted. She was torn between telling him her intentions and desire to return to the Sith, or lying.

Ben sighed. "But not all of it, right?"

Swallowing, she shook her head, her resolve slowly fading. "I… I don't want to be enemies. I know I said that we don't have to hate each other even though we are enemies, but this would be so much easier if…" she trailed off.

He waited patiently for a moment but released one of her arms to tilt her chin up, forcing her to meet his blue eyes.

"Easier if what, Ves?" he asked gently, looking down at her.

It was hard to lie to him when she wasn't looking at him, but now, looking into his eyes, it was nearly impossible and her heart began to race. Against her better judgment, she whispered, "It would be easier if you were a Sith."

Comprehension and hurt cast a shadow over his face and he stepped away from her as though she'd slapped him. "You… were you trying to seduce me to the Dark Side?"

A smirk came to her lips. "There was no trying to it, really." The smirk left her face when Ben began to pace back and forth, his anger radiating off of him. "I didn't want to hurt you, I was just -"

"You were trying to turn me against my father!" he shouted, making her jump at his sudden outburst. "Against my entire family and every other Jedi out there! How could you do that to me after all the trust I've put in you?"

"Because I was told to, all right? My father became aware that I'm attracted to you and wanted me to use your feelings for me in hopes that you would turn to the Dark Side!" she shouted right back, temper flaring. "And you know what? I was happy to do it! I was happy to do it because I wanted to spend more time with you!" Running a hand through her hair, she walked to the wall and leaned back against it, the weight of what she'd confessed baring down on her shoulders. Force, her father would have her neck if he found out that she'd told Ben. But at the moment, Ben was all that mattered and she hated the look of betrayal he was sending her way. "I'm sorry," she murmured.

"Get out."

Tears stung her eyes. "Ben, please -"

"I said, get out," he sighed, going to his bed and sitting. "Just go."

Biting her tongue until it bled to keep from crying, she raced out of the room and back to the little room that was made into her quarters.

Force, what had she done?

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_**Coffee keeps me awake to write, but reviews keep me motivated to write!**_


	2. Chapter 2

Ben was the first one to venture into the cockpit and had been sitting in the copilots seat for well over an hour, thinking over the events that had transpired during the night. He was tired and wanted nothing more than to sleep, but after his encounter with Vestara he had been unable to go back to sleep. The moment she left his quarters, he'd gone to check on his father and sure enough the Jedi Grand Master was sleeping like the dead. On the plus side, it was probably the best night's sleep Luke had had in a long time. If only Ben was so lucky.

Typically, he'd sit in his room to meditate or sit or whatever when his mind was raddled, but considering what had happened in his room and what nearly happened in his bed, he needed neutral ground.

Tiredly, he scrubbed his hand down his face and leaned back, looking out at the stars. It were times like this where he could really use his mother's guidance. She'd been the Emperor's Hand and could probably offer some insight about why Vestara was the way she was better than his father could. That girl confused him to no end. One second she was just Vestara, the girl he had deep feelings for, and the next she was a Sith, willing to betray them. Hell, she was willing to screw him if it meant that he'd switch sides!It was no shock that she wanted him to become a Sith, but he hadn't thought she'd go to such extremes.

He sighed.

He actually fell for her act and thought she was in his cabin because she wanted to be there, to be with him. What came as a surprise though was that she'd come clean and told him her intentions. Vestara was good a lying and he would have most likely believed whatever she told him, so why tell him the truth? That there was one of the reasons that despite his distrust of her and all her betrayal, he believed that she could be redeemed and brought to the light. There was just enough good in her that lead him to believe that she wasn't a lost cause yet.

His thoughts were interrupted by his father coming into the cockpit.

Luke shuffled to the pilot's seat and practically fell into it. "Why do I feel like I've been trampled by a bantha?"

"Vestara drugged you with some major sedative or something." Ben kept his eyes up at the stars, bracing himself for whatever Luke's reaction would be.

Wide awake now, Luke stared at him. "She drugged me? How did she…" A look of comprehension crossed over his face and his head fell back against the headrest. "The juice. I should have realized something was wrong when she went out of her way to make sure I saw her take a drink." Looking at his son, he asked, "How'd you find out?"

At this, Ben's face flushed. "She, uh, she wanted to talk to me without you overhearing and told me."

Luke arched a brow. "She just told you?" he asked skeptically.

Ben shrugged, too embarrassed to tell him the details.

Luke stared at him for a moment longer before he turned his attention to the stars ahead of him. Relief flooded Ben as it appeared that his father wouldn't try to pry the details from him. At least not right now.

"She's becoming a rather large risk, Ben," Luke said after a moment, throwing a sideways glance at his son.

"I know, Dad. But…I don't know what to do about her," Ben sighed. He wanted to hate Vestara, he really wanted to, but he couldn't and desperately wanted to help her. "I wish Mom was here. She'd know what to do."

"I do too, Ben," Luke said sadly. "And I agree that she would know what to do about Vestara, but it's just us and the girl is our responsibility." Pausing, he turned in the chair to face Ben. "It might be best if we keep her restrained, at least when on the ship, for our own safety."

"We shouldn't leave her alone a lot, but I don't think we should turn her into a prisoner. Beside, she won't hurt us," Ben insisted. He would probably start sleeping with one eye open, but if the most Vestara was going to do was straddle him in his sleep he wasn't going to lock her up.

"Was it not you who informed me that she'd drugged me?"

"She could have killed you, Dad," he pointed out. "There have been lots of times that she could have killed us. And as angry as I am about what she did, you have to admit that you needed the sleep that drug gave you."

That got a light chuckle out of him and Luke nodded. "Perhaps I should get the name of the drug from her."

"She probably wouldn't give it to you out of spite," Ben said with a smile.

Luke smiled back momentarily before turning serious again. "Why do you trust her?"

The boy glanced at Luke and stated as he turned his eyes back to the stars, "I don't trust her."

"To a certain degree, yes, you do trust her," Luke countered. "Otherwise she likely wouldn't be on this ship, or alive for that matter."

Sighing, Ben closed his eyes, thinking about Vestara so that he could give his father an answer. "I want to trust her, and in some ways I already do. She has saved our lives and has helped us on more than one occasion. And she can be a good person when the situation suits her or when she's not acting on orders. That's the Vestara I trust. But _Apprentice_ Vestara Khai... I'm not so sure about her. When she's following orders and… being a Sith, I never know what to expect and feel as though I can't turn my back on her. It's that part of her that I know will betray us at any moment. I get that I have to accept both sides of her, and I do, that was how she was raised, but I can't help but feel that she can change."

"She may not want to change," Luke said. "She wants you to turn to the Dark Side but you don't want to. What's to suggest that she wants to turn to the Light?"

He had a point, Ben realized begrudgingly. There was a definite chance that she wouldn't change just as he refused to. Having come close to the Dark Side while under Jacen's wing, Ben had seen the results and didn't want to go down that path ever again. But Vestara hadn't experienced the Light Side of the Force for herself; she'd only witnessed it through Ben and Luke's actions. While she'd grown up knowing nothing but the ways of the Sith, there was a lot she didn't know. Every time the were on a planet she would be fascinated by what was going on around her but hardly allowed herself to explore or just have fun, instead focusing on the task at hand just as she was trained to do. Ben wanted her to have some fun once in a while, to just set her Sith heritage aside for once. If anything he wanted her to be safe and she clearly wasn't. The more he thought of her late night visit, he began to remember that through his anger he'd heard her voice tremble ever so slightly after he discovered what she was up to, saw tears in her eyes. It suddenly hit him that she'd been desperate and scared. The Sith were under the impressed that she'd betrayed them and she'd become desperate. Maybe that was why she'd tried to sleep with him, to bring him back with her as some sort of peace offering. And he'd turned her away without talking to her peacefully about it. He'd been as angry and upset as ever, he still was for the most part, but he should have taken a closer look at her reactions and have talked to her.

"I can help her," Ben finally said with determination. "She's desperate right now, that's all."

Luke sighed. "Ben, I'm concerned about your attachment to Vestara. She has done nothing but deceive your faith in her."

"I know, but… I care about her, Dad," he admitted, not daring to look at his father.

Before Luke could comment, both sensed another presence roaming about the ship and didn't need to call out to see who it was.

"We'll discuss this more later," Luke told him before shifting his attention to the controls and setting course for their next destination.

Taking that as permission to leave, Ben got out of the seat and made his way to the galley, finding Vestara getting herself some breakfast. She was wearing considerable more than the last time he saw her, now dressed in her usual attire with Sith markings painted on her face.

Personally, he thought she looked more beautiful without the face paint.

Feeling rather than hearing him come in, Vestara turned to look at him once before taking her food to the table in silence. That wasn't like her. Sometimes she was admittedly quiet but she didn't usually ignore him. Then again, her failed attempt at seducing him was likely to have an effect on her behavior for a while. Whether it was due to being angry that she failed or being embarrassed, Ben could only guess.

Passing her, he got some food as well before joining her at the table.

Neither spoke for minutes and finally it got to Ben's nerves. "I told my father what you did to him."

Vestara paused with her fork an inch from her mouth, looking suddenly nervous. Setting the utensil with the food still on it back on the dish, she asked, "And?"

"And he feels like he got trampled by a bantha, his words not mine," her replied.

The Sith stared at him, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "That's it? He isn't angry?"

"Well I wouldn't say he's happy about it, but he's not going to throw you off the ship. And in case you're wondering, I didn't tell him what you tried to do last night. I just told him you drugged him because you wanted to talk to me without being interrupted," he added, voice low in case his father was near.

"Did he believe you?" she asked doubtfully.

"I don't think so," Ben admitted, "But he didn't push for an answer so you're in the clear for now."

Vestara nodded slowly, seeming not to know exactly what to say.

An apology would have been good but Ben wasn't going to hold his breath, doubting he'd ever get one when she technically did apologize before he threw her out of his cabin.

Minutes passed in silence while they finished their meal, neither wanting to go into detail about what happened when the chance of Luke hearing was high. Ben was aware that Luke knew that something must have gone on for him to be drugged, but Ben had no desire to share the details anytime soon.

As Ben was just finishing up with his food, Vestara stood and went to clean the dish.

Hastily, he finished eating and walked up beside her with his dish. "We need to talk about last night. In private."

If Vestara heard him she gave no indication and finished what she was doing in silence. It was only when she looked at him and inclined her head towards her cabin did he realize that she had heard and was willing to talk.

Giving her a nodded, the two made their way to her cabin without a word. Briefly, he glanced down the way towards the cockpit. In a moment they'd have more privacy to talk. Once Luke was done plotting a destination, he'd set the ship on autopilot and would go get something to eat before retreating to his cabin to meditate. His meditation varied, but more often than not he would meditate for an hour or longer.

Following her into the cabin, Ben closed the door behind him and leaned back against the wall, giving the girl her space.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Vestara turned to face him. "You said you wanted to talk. Talk."

Mimicking her posture and folding his arms, he asked, "Why are you so desperate to rejoin the Sith?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I am a Sith. With them is where I belong," she stated as though it were obvious. It was, but that wasn't what he meant.

"And in case you haven't noticed, they aren't exactly happy with you right now. Wasn't it you who told me at one point that you were afraid to go back?"

Vestara looked away, replaying the memory in her head. Ben couldn't help but do the same.

"_Ves?" Ben called, entering the cargo hold. In the farthest corner, he found the Sith girl, sitting in the shadows with her knees pulled up to her chest. Frowning, he went to her and knelt in front of her. "Hey, what's wrong?"_

"_Everything," she said with a humorless laugh. "I can't go back to my people, to my father. If I do I'll be executed. And to make it worse I'm stuck traveling with Jedi – no offense." _

_The face paint under her eyes was smudged, leading Ben to believe that she'd been crying. That worried him more than anything. She wasn't like this normally. Hesitantly, he placed his hand on her shoulder and gave it what he hoped was a comforting squeeze. While he thought she was better off and safer with them, he felt bad for her. "It'll all work out, Ves. I promise."_

_Vestara sighed and reached up to hold his hand that was on her shoulder. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Ben," she replied quietly._

"_I don't," he said with a half smile, lacing his fingers with hers. "Don't you know that the Jedi know everything? I know that things will work out."_

_She shook her head with a sad smile. Fresh tears streaked her makeup and the smile faded. "I'm scared, Ben," she murmured just loud enough for him to hear._

_Swallowing the lump in his throat, he pulled her to him, his arms going around her to provide whatever comfort he could give. Without hesitation, Vestara returned the embraces, her delicate, strong arms locking tightly around his neck as she buried her face in the crook of his neck._

Regaining her composure, Vestara said, "I was having a weak moment, nothing more. I'm not scared of my people."

"Really? Could have fooled me. You sure are acting desperate for their approval," he said, walking towards her.

She shook her head, holding her ground. "No, I'm not."

He arched a brow. "Then why were you trying to get into bed with me last night?" he questioned, taking another step towards her. "What better way to earn back the trust of the Sith than to convert a Skywalker and bring him back with you. Instead of trying to seduce me gradually, you went straight to sex."

The Sith hesitated for a moment. "I wasn't desperate, Ben. I simply thought that could both get something out of it; you'd get a good time, and I'd eventually turn you."

"Ves, tell me the truth. Were you in my cabin because you wanted to be there, or were you there because you're afraid of what you're people will do to you if you can't get their trust back by bringing them some sort of peace offering?" he asked and the girl fell silent. That was all Ben needed in the form of an answer.

"You have no idea what they'll do if I go back without some kind of gift that they can use," she said through her teeth, brown eyes revealing anger and sadness and fear. "And with what I've done, the only thing that will ensure my acceptance back into the Tribe is the turning of you."

"We can protect you, Vestara. _I _can protect you," he replied, take a few final steps closer and placing his hands on her shoulders.

"No," she said, looking at him in the eye. "You can't. I know you think you can, but you can't. The only way you can save me is by turning to the Dark Side. Ben," she took his face in her hands. "You don't know the power you will have. You won't be bound by the rules of the Jedi. You can be free. You can be with me," she insisted.

It was tempting, it truly was, but he'd witnessed what the Dark Side had done to his cousin and forced himself to shake his head. "I can't do that, Ves, I'm sorry. But there's another way out for you."

"And what's that?"

"You can turn your back on the Dark Side, become a Jedi. It'll take a lot of training but I believe you're capable of changing."

She looked at him as though he'd grown a second head. "I… No, _no, _what makes you think I even want that?"

Seeing the opportunity, he explained, "There have been numerous times where you could have let my father and I die but didn't, and I've seen a side of you that is good." When she looked away, Ben put his hand on her soft cheek and brought her eyes back to his. "There's still a chance for you, Ves. You're strong and have the potential to be a great Jedi."

Consideration flashed across her face and for a second he though he was getting through to her, but the expression was gone, replaced by stubbornness and a smirk. "You gotta work on her manipulation skills, Skywalker."

Ben frowned. "You think I'm trying to manipulate you?" he asked, trying to keep the hurt from his voice.

She nodded. "I think that's exactly what you're trying to do," she confirmed. "After all, I tried to manipulate you by trying to have sex with you so that you'd fall for me. You're tactics may be different, but we both want each other to cross to the other side."

"Ves," Ben grumbled, shaking his head, irritated. He wasn't trying to manipulate her. If she didn't want to become a Jedi that was her choice, he was just trying to make her see her options, not force her to do something. But that wasn't what bothered him. She seriously thought that sleeping with him would make him fall for her? It was a bit late for that.

Arms crossed, Vestara stared up at him expectantly, waiting for him to make excuses. He didn't intend on making any, but he was getting fed up with her stubbornness, that smug smirk, and how incredibly blind she was to how he felt about her.

Despite his effort not to, he kept looking down to her full lips, remembering how good they felt on his neck and his own. He'd be lying if he said he didn't miss the feeling. Thinking quick, he came to the conclusion that she would just brush off whatever he said so he did the only other thing he could do. Ben brought his other hand to her cheek pulled leaned down to place a hard kiss on her lips.

Vestara froze, eyes wide and arms still crossed, not moving a muscle.

Not liking the lack of reaction, he deepened the kiss, forcing his tongue between her lips to caress her own. Pouring everything into that single kiss, he tried to make her understand that he'd already fallen for her. A sigh escaped the Sith and her eyes fluttered shut, giving in and tangling her hands in his red hair, keeping his lips firmly press to hers. The kiss was sweet and potent, affecting Ben like a drug he couldn't get enough of. Hands sliding from her face, he grasped her delicate hips, bringing her impossibly closer, longing to feel the skin he'd touched last night.

All too soon, the kiss slowed to an end and Vestara pulled away slightly, hands resting comfortably on his shoulders. She'd never looked so incredibly tempting. Her full lips were swollen and, unlike last night, he could clearly see and feel that she'd kissed him without any dark intentions and that would stay in him mind longer than the image of her on top of him as she tried to seduce and manipulate him would.

Sighing, he leaned his head down, resting his forehead against hers. "You don't have to try to make me fall for you, Vestara," he murmured and heard her breath hitch.

"But it's too complicated as long as we're on opposing sides, isn't in?" she questioned, voice laced with sadness that created a lump in his throat. It would always come back to him being a Jedi and she a Sith.

"Stop thinking about the Jedi and Sith for once, Ves. What do _you _want?" he asked, wanting her to think about what she wanted and not what her people wanted.

The girl squeezed her eyes shut and surprised him by lowering her hands from his neck to wrap around his torso, resting her head against his broad shoulder. Out of instinct, he held her tightly as she thought over an answer, giving her time. This wasn't something he could push.

Breathing out a long sigh, she shook her head against his shoulder. "I don't know," she admitted quietly. "I really don't know."

* * *

_**Coffee keeps me awake to write, but reviews keep me motivated to write!**_


	3. Chapter 3

The _Jade Shadow_ shook violently beneath the young Sith's feet and she braced herself against the wall, cursing under her breath when her elbow connected with the steel. Hurrying to the cockpit, she reached the navigators seat just as the ship shook again, causing her to fall ungracefully into the chair.

Looking from Ben to Luke, she asked, "Any particular reason why we're about to shake apart?"

Keeping his eyes on the controls, Luke replied, "One of the ion engines is malfunctioning. Unfortunately, I can't fix it on my own so we're going to have to land. We're coming up on a space station called Haven Port."

"Sounds pleasant enough," Vestara commented.

"Hardly," said Ben. "It's called Haven because its population consists of mostly criminals and has little to no actual government. Instead, it seems to be run by the gangs with the greatest reputation. Not the best station in the galaxy, but we need repairs if we want to keep flying."

"Great," Vestara muttered, strapping herself in as the shaking increased. "Why didn't we get it fixed when we were last planet-side?"

Luke tossed a glance her way. "Because it wasn't a problem then."

"Well, maybe you should have gotten it checked before it became a problem," she retorted.

"Can we just land this thing, please?" Ben interrupted, looking from his father to her.

Lips forming a thin line, she turned her attention to the screen in front of her. She didn't much care for Luke Skywalker, but she didn't say anything else if only to appease Ben. It had only been three days since they talked in her cabin that left her feeling conflicted.

"_What do _you _want?" he'd asked._

"_I don't know."_

Even after thinking hard about it she still couldn't give him an answer, not really. While she knew what she wanted, what she wanted being Ben and a life of her own, she didn't know how to get what she wanted without the approval of the Sith. Because of that dilemma, she didn't know what she truly wanted more, Ben and a life, or approval of the Sith. Something in the middle would be nice, but that was out of the question. But even though she didn't have an answer to give Ben, she did say that she would try not to make things hard on him or his father anymore. Though she knew that she would likely betray them again at some point, she would be fairly civil until then. Because of her lack of an answer, however, she and Ben's "relationship", or whatever it was that they had, had come to a halt, neither knowing exactly how to deal with their situation.

Sighing, she leaned back in the seat. Things were becoming far too complicated.

_Vestara, _a man's voice said.

"What?" she asked Ben.

Looking over his shoulder, he wore a confused look on his face. "Me?"

"No, the other redheaded Jedi traveling with us," she said sarcastically. "Yes, you. What do you need?"

"Uh, nothing. Why do you ask?" he asked perplexed.

What kind of game was he playing? "You said my name, so what do you need?" she repeated.

"I didn't say anything," Ben responded, looking at her as though she were crazy.

"But you…" she trailed off, looking out at the space station just coming into view. A cold sensation brushed her skin and she shivered. The sensation felt so familiar but she couldn't figure out what it was.

"Ves?" Ben began, concern evident in his voice. "You okay?"

"Something is on that station," she informed the two Jedi, sensing a strong presence coming from Haven Port.

Luke relinquished the shaking controls to Ben and closed his eyes, reaching out with the Force. A moment later, he said, "She's right. Someone strong in the Dark Side is residing there."

The Jedi went on talking to his son but Vestara hardly noticed, listening to the whispers in her head. The voice was one she recognized but couldn't place. It was both familiar and foreign.

_Platform A-137._

"So what do we do?" Ben asked Luke.

Taking back the controls, Luke replied, "We dock in the least populated area so as not to draw attention to…"

"Dock at platform A-137," Vestara interrupted, brown eyes never leaving the station.

"That's the main docking bay," Luke informed her. "It's too risky."

"We _have _to dock there," she told him. Shifting her gaze to Ben, she held his eyes with her own. "Trust me."

Ben looked from her to his father, torn between who to listen to. Sighing, he gave Vestara a nod. "If we can sense whatever's there, it probably senses us. No point in laying low."

That wasn't what Luke had wanted to hear, but he altered course to the platform. "That may very well be, but I still believe that laying low for a short while is a smarter plan."

"He won't hurt us," Vestara assured the Jedi, surprised that she didn't feel worried.

"Do you know something we don't, Vestara?" Luke questioned, suspicious.

Shaking her head, she said, "No. I don't know who is there, but…I _know _who is down there."

"That made sense," Ben muttered.

"I know it sounds crazy but whoever is there is someone that I know, I just can't figure out who."

"Well," Luke sighed, "We'll find out soon enough."

With great effort, the Jedi Grand Master managed to dock the ship without damaging anything and quickly shutdown the overheating engine while Vestara unstrapped herself from her seat and darted towards the ramp. By the time it lowered, she was already walking down the busy walkway, ignoring the calls of the two Jedi behind her. She needed to find out just who was calling her through the Force. At an intersection, she went left.

The voice chuckled. _Wrong way._

Despite herself, she smirked and turned to go down the other way. _Mind telling me exactly which way to go?_

_Where is the fun in that? _The voice asked.

_Who are you? _She questioned.

_You'll see soon enough._

"Ves, slow down!" Ben called, catching up and walking at a fast pace beside her. "Where are you going?"

"I'm trying to find whoever is talking to me through the Force," she replied, looking at Ben. "Where's you dad?"

"Paying for a docking permit. How do you know this isn't a trap?" he asked.

That was a good question. She had no reason to believe that it wasn't a trap. Shrugging, she said, "For all I know it might be."

Nearing the end of the street, Ben grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. "This is stupid, Ves. We should wait for my dad," he said.

"Ben, its fine," she tried to assure him but he shook his head.

"Trust me, what I sense is anything but fine. We shouldn't have docked here. I couldn't sense it before, but I do now and this is dangerous."

Vestara rolled her eyes. "You worry too much."

"And you don't worry enough," he countered.

Behind them, someone chuckled softly. "You and the Jedi bicker more than you and I use to, Vestara."

Both the Jedi and the Sith spun around to face the owner of the voice. Ben had his hand on the hilt of his lightsaber, but Vestara's eyes widened in amazement and recognition.

"Tarick?" she uttered, needing to be sure.

Brown, almost black eyes gleamed at her, lips forming a wide smile. "Hello, Ves."

A smile instantly lit up her face and she darted forward, throwing her arms around the tall mans neck as his went about her waist. "Tarick!" she repeated excitedly.

"It is good to see you my friend," he greeted, lowering her to her feet after spinning her around. "It has been a long time."

"Too long," she agreed and reached up to flick a wisp of night black hair away from his eyes. "You're hair is longer."

He nodded. "That it is. I grew tired of the customary short hair on board my vessel and opted for a change."

His words brought back a memory and she took a hesitant step away. Tarick was a Sith, a few years older and the first to befriend her after she was accepted as an apprentice. Throughout her training, he had mentored her and become a very close friend. But it was the fact that he was a Sith that made her wary. Surely he knew that she had killed Taalon.

"Why did you reach out to me?" she questioned, wanting to be sure that he was there as a friend and not as an executioner.

A sorrowful look fell over his face like a dark curtain. "I wish to help you, my friend. I heard what you did and know that you must have killed Taalon for a good reason. The order for your death has spread throughout the Sith, but I couldn't bring myself to hunt you down and end your life. For that, I left the others to find and aid you in whatever way you need." Reaching out with a pale hand, he cupped her cheek gentle. "You can trust me, Vestara. I am not here to hurt you."

Relief fell over her and she fell back into his embrace while his strong arms held her possessively close, failing to notice the look of contempt Ben was sending to the Sith holding her.

* * *

The man who held Vestara appeared to be taller than Ben by a good few inches and his already pale skin was made even paler by his black hair and black tunic. But it was hardly the Sith's appearance that had Ben on edge. There was a darkness to him that made the Jedi want to grab Vestara and pull her to a safe distance. He'd overheard their conversation and gathered that Tarick claimed to be on her side, but Ben wasn't so quick to believe him. And seeing him holding Vestara made his blood boil as he tasted jealousy for the first time.

"You going to introduce us?" Ben questioned harsher than he intended.

As if remembering that he was there, Vestara let go of Tarick and smiled brightly. "This is Tarick Graylo, a fellow Sith and close friend. Tarick, this is…"

"Ben Skywalker," Tarick said for her. At Ben's questioning stare, he pointed to his hair. "We were all given a description of you and your father. Your red hair is hard to miss."

"What do you want with Vestara?" he demanded, fighting back the urge to reach for the girl.

"Ben!" Vestara hissed. "He's my friend and only wants to help me."

He wanted to believe that was Tarick's only motive, but his gut said otherwise and the Force whispered for him not to trust the young man. It amazed him that Vestara was so quick to trust him, but then again they were both Sith and were friends, why shouldn't she trust him? _Because he's a good for nothing Sith! _he thought to himself. But Vestara was a Sith as well.

Not noticing Ben's inner turmoil, Tarick said smoothly to both Ben and Vestara, "I would very much like to meet Luke Skywalker. He would probably like to know of my reasons for being here."

"Probably," Vestara agreed. "I'm already on thin ice with him as it is." Looking to Ben, she asked, "Is he still at the docking bay."

"If he weren't he'd be here," he snapped, making Vestara frown. Sighing, he softened his tone and started walking. "Come on, I'll take you to him."

Together, the three walked back down the crowded streets to the _Jade Shadow _in an uncomfortable silence. Vestara walked between Ben and Tarick, clearly not trusting them to be near each other. Every few seconds, Ben would glance at the Sith and find him smirking. What in the blazes was he smirking about? Not knowing angered Ben mildly but he shook it off. Becoming angry over something small was ridiculous. This guy had to go, he decided. It was the first time he'd felt jealous over someone and he didn't like the feeling. But more than that, he feared that he had darker motives and that Vestara was somehow in danger.

Nearing the platform, Luke emerged from the crowd, hand near his lightsaber when he spotted them. "Who's this?" he asked calmly, looking at Tarick.

"Vestara's _friend_," Ben replied somewhat coldly.

"Friend, huh?"

Standing straight, Tarick approached Luke and gave a respectful bow. "Jedi Skywalker, it is an honor to meet you."

"I'm surprised to hear that from a Sith," Luke commented.

Tarick smiled. "One should always respect the enemy and praise him for his success. By praising your success, I acknowledge that you would be a strong opponent in battle and thus would not be foolish to underestimate you."

Luke looked surprised, but also impressed. "A wise way of thinking," he complimented.

Ben stared at his father in disbelief. How could he be complimenting this guy? Did he not sense the danger they were in?

Continuing, the elder Jedi asked, "Might I ask what exactly you want?"

"Of course," Tarick replied. "After I learned that Vestara was to be killed if she were found, I left my people to inform her of this and offer my assistance to her, as well as to you. Were it any other Sith, I would have gladly branded them as traitors and hunt them down, but I know Vestara," he said, looking down at her and giving her a comforting smile. "I know that she would not have killed Taalon if she didn't have a reason for doing so." Returning his dark eyes to Luke, he asked, "You are hunting Abeloth, yes?"

Luke nodded. "That's correct."

"Then with your permission I would like to join you in your hunt. Perhaps in finding Abeloth I can convince my people that Vestara is still loyal to us."

Vestara looked up at him with renewed hope. "You would do that? Isn't it possible that you'll be punished for leaving? And what about you're master?"

Smiling in amusement, Tarick answered, "Yes, I would do that for you. Yes, it is possible that I too will be punished. And… sadly my master is no longer with us."

"Oh… I'm sorry," Vestara stammered. "I wasn't aware."

"It's all right," the Sith assured her. "But I do not wish to discuss it. I…" he drew in a shaky breath. "I am still morning her death."

Ben rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe that Vestara was buying this. As for his father, well, he couldn't tell if he bought it or not. Either way, Ben thought the guy was lying through his teeth.

"Skywalker," Vestara began and Ben looked up to find that she was talking to his father. "Please, let him come along. At least for a while. If he can get my people to at least reconsider the death sentence, my chances of living go up."

That was the closest Vestara had ever come to begging his father for anything and Ben swallowed hard. He wanted Vestara to get as far away from Tarick as possible, but how could he deny her something she desperately wanted? It was true that her life would depend on convincing her people not to kill her, but Ben still felt as though something were off about the whole thing. It amazed him that Luke didn't sense it. Or maybe he did and was just keeping it to himself.

Looking at the girl he'd fallen for, he sighed and forced himself to say to his father, "Maybe we should let him join us." It almost hurt to say that.

Luke stared at his son. "I'm surprised to hear you say that, Ben."

Ben shrugged. "Yeah, well, if there's a chance at helping Vestara, we should take it."

Smiling genuinely at him, Vestara said, "Thank you, Ben."

He returned the smile as best as he could.

Running his hand through his hair, Luke sighed. "I'll think about it. The repairs should take a few days. During that time, Tarick, you are welcome to stay on the _Jade Shadow _with us until she's fixed. Once she's put back together I'll let you know if you can join us."

Tarick bowed his head. "Thank you, Master Jed."

Ben bit his tongue.

Something wasn't right, and though he'd given his had said that Tarick should join them, he couldn't help but feel as though they'd just opened the doors of the _Jade Shadow _to a monster.

* * *

_**Coffee keeps me awake to write, but reviews keep me motivated to write!**_


	4. Chapter 4

The initial high of being reunited with her closest friend wore down some as Vestara walked through the streets with Tarick to get his things from the fighter he'd arrived in while Ben and Luke stayed at the ship to see how bad the damage was.

It was good to see Tarick, it really was, but something felt strange, she couldn't place it. But instead of investigating the ripple in the Force, she shrugged it off as nothing, feeling perfectly comfortable and safe around the fellow Sith. With no other Sith would she dare let her guard down in such a manner, but having known him since she first became an apprentice and being very close to him gave her a sense of trust.

"Ben doesn't care much for me," Tarick commented, breaking the silence.

Vestara sighed. "He's just concerned, that's all. He believes he can protect me from everything, and apparently that includes you."

"I do not see how you can tolerate that sort of protectiveness. You always hated it when I was overprotective of you."

She looked at him. "That's because you always thought you could control me."

"A fine point." Tarick smiled.

Rounding a corner, Vestara sighed. "Ben's intentions are good, though sometimes annoying. What's funny is that he actually believes he can turn me to the Light. I don't know if I should be angry that he thinks that, or flattered that he thinks so highly of me."

Tarick didn't reply right away, instead he gazed down at her with eyes that made her feel vulnerable. It always seemed like he could see right through her. That was something she both loved and hated about him. At times his ability to read her was comforting when she couldn't find the words to say, but other times it was an incredible invasion of privacy. It all depended on how she felt.

"You have strong feelings for Ben," Tarick stated, no sound of surprise in his deep voice.

Vestara glanced at the ground before looking straight ahead. There was no point in lying to him or dancing around the subject. "Yes."

"I must say, I never would have expected you to fall for a Jedi."

"I didn't expect to either," she sighed.

"Have you thought about turning him to the Dark Side?" he asked.

Vestara nodded. "Yes, but he is dead set on resisting. I want him to turn so that we can be together as equals, not enemies."

"I could speak with him if you think it may help," he offered.

"No," Vestara replied quickly. "No, he already doesn't like you very much and I fear that if you try to push him into turning he may close himself off to me completely."

"As you wish. But if you ever require my assistance, do not hesitate to ask."

"I won't," she answered, following him to one of the landing platforms.

At the far end was an impressive looking two-person starfighter. It looked expensive and she suspected that Tarick had persuaded someone to give it to him rather than actually buy it.

One of Tarick's core mottos was "See, want, take". If he saw something he wanted, he would get it one way or the other. Sometimes that made being his friend difficult.

Multiple times in the past he said rather bluntly that he wanted her in the physical sense, but she was far from interested in him as anything but a friend. She would turn him down and he would leave her be for a while only to repeat the process later. It was a routine that she actually didn't mind anymore because it had become so normal.

"How much stuff do you have?" she asked, coming up to the starfighter.

"Two bags, that is all. Clothes mostly."

Once the two had his items in hand, they made their way back to the _Jade Shadow _to get him set up for the night. Again, Vestara's mind traveled to Ben. No doubt it would be a long night for both she and the young Jedi. She was fully aware that Ben disliked Tarick, and she could swear that she felt jealousy as well, but wanted him to accept her friend as an ally. That seemed like a lot to ask for from him right now. She supposed that a little caution was normal as Tarick was a Sith they didn't know as well as she did, but Ben was being uncharacteristically bitter towards her friends. It looked as though they would soon have to have another heart-to-heart talk about things. Privacy was going to be an issue for her and Ben, but she had her ways of finding privacy.

* * *

"I don't trust him," Ben grumbled while fiddling with some wires near the engine, being a little too rough with them. Before they hired someone for repairs, they wanted to have a good grasp on the problem in chase some other issues magically appeared to jack up the price. But that was far from why Ben was taking his irritation out on the ship.

Something about Tarick rubbed him the wrong way. It wasn't only because he was Sith but it was something else that he couldn't place. There was an overly dark shadow over Tarick that hid his intentions, making it impossible to figure out if he was being honest or not. Then there was the close relationship the man had with Vestara. She'd believed him almost instantly and hardly questioned his motives. Through the Force, he'd been able to feel the trust she had for Tarick and that made dislike him even more. It was irrational, but it was exceedingly difficult to suppress his jealous feelings.

"Me neither," Luke agreed, coming up beside him. "Nor do I believe his story."

Ben frowned. It sure seemed like his father believed Tarick earlier. "Then why let him stay on the ship? Why humor him?"

"Because I want to know exactly what he's up to." Sighing, Luke leaned to the side and regarded his son. "Ben, if we were to turn him away, what would we learn?"

"Nothing," he admitted.

"Exactly. I'd rather Tarick be nowhere near the _Jade Shadow_, but it's a small price to pay for gaining information. You are just too caught up in the attention Vestara is giving him to see that." Luke kept his tone calm and fatherly, even though Ben knew he must be irritated with Ben's feelings for Vestara.

When Ben failed to comment or deny what he said, Luke sighed and continued, "Ben, you know how concerned I am of your feelings for Vestara so I will not repeat myself, but I urge you to be cautious while Tarick is around. The Dark Side is very strong in him and I don't believe he left the rest of the Sith to help Vestara out of the goodness of his heart. There are darker motives."

Ben couldn't suppress a sigh of relief. Some of his anger left him with the knowledge that Luke did in fact believe something was wrong. But something else was nagging at him. "What about Vestara? I can't help but feel that she's in danger whenever she's near Tarick."

"I feel we are all in danger with him around," Luke commented with a sigh. "It's her decision to believe him or not, we can't decide for her. If she trusts him, then she trusts him."

"So you're saying that we let her stay in danger?" Ben could feel his anger bubbling back to the surface but kept it at bay.

Luke stared at his son and replied firmly, "Until we have solid proof that he means to harm any of us, I sincerely doubt she will believe she is in any danger."

Instead of answering him, Ben just sighed and shook his head, turning his attention back to the engine. Working with engines came naturally to him, as did piloting. Apparently it was a Skywalker family trait, starting with his grandfather Anakin Skywalker, once Darth Vader.

He thought about his grandfather once in a while, wondering what could have turned someone who had been a powerful Jedi into a monster. Leia often told him that he should leave the past in the past and not dwell on his grandfather as Luke sometimes did, but he was curious as well as concerned. Turning to the Dark Side, like piloting and working with machines, was a family on both sides but was most prominent in Jacen. Ben couldn't help but be concerned that he too might one day get lost in the Dark. While he was able to keep from going down that path, he'd come too close and worried that one day he would go all the way.

Sensing his fears, Luke approached him and placed his hand on the boys shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "You're strong, Ben. Don't worry." Patting his shoulder, he turned to the engine. "Now, let's figure out what wrong with this thing so we can get it fixed."

* * *

The _Jade Shadow _wasn't as beat up as Luke Skywalker had thought and it turned out that both the Grand Master and his son would be able to purchase the supplies needed and fix it themselves in a few days. That pleased Tarick as that turn of events would fit better with his plans. As would Vestara and Ben's affection for each other. He'd know through rumors that Vestara was attracted to the Jedi boy, but he hadn't expected how deep her feelings for him ran. Through the Force connection he had with her he could feel that she cared about Ben Skywalker more than she cared for anyone else, even her parents. And it was as plain as day that Ben felt the same for her. While Vestara's father would have been appalled by this, it made Tarick's day. Now he had something to hold over Ben Skywalker.

Vestara Khai.

It was growing late and Tarick had walked from his small cabin on the ship to the galley for some water and was confronted by his reason for being on the Force-forsaken station.

"Skywalker," Tarick greeted with false kindness.

Ben tensed at the table he was sitting at, tools spread out in front of him. Turning back to stare at him, he gave a forced nod. "Graylo."

"Tarick, please. Graylo was my father, and I do not wish to be known by his name."

Shrugging, the boy went back to work with a battered object, grease coating his hands. Though he wasn't staring at him, Tarick could feel Ben keeping close tabs on him with the Force. The boy was smart and wasn't going to let his guard down easily. That would make things difficult, but the Sith was patient. He would just have to change tactics slightly.

"Vestara seems quite at home here," Tarick commented, smirking when Ben tensed once again. It was clear that the girl was his weakness.

"Yeah, she likes it here," Ben replied cautiously.

Tarick smiled to himself and after getting some water he came around the table, looking down at the object Ben was working one. "That is good to hear. Her happiness is important to me. She's a very special girl who deserves to be happy."

Ben snorted. "Even if that means she's happy hear with two Jedi?"

"You make it sound as though there is a large distinction between the Sith and the Jedi."

"There is," he insisted, setting down the tools in his hands. "Betrayal, selfishness, and being downright evil is practically a requirement for being a Sith."

"Do you see these traits in Vestara?" Tarick questioned and Ben went silent. Sighing, the Sith took a seat at the opposite end of the table. "While we may have very different methods, the Sith and the Jedi are alike in many ways. We both want peace, to restore the natural balance of things."

Ben stared him dead in the eyes. "That may be, but Jedi don't resort to killing people and forcing their obedience."

"Don't they?" Tarick questioned, folding his hands on the table. "From what I have learned of the Jedi going back to the Old Republic, if you deem something as a threat you try to bring them down. The Sith had a different way of thinking and your Order tried to destroy us."

"That's different."

"How so?"

Ben didn't say anything for a moment and that pleased the Sith. If the boy had to think about it, it meant that he found some truth in his words. Soon he hoped to plant of dark seed of doubt and confusion in the boy's heart.

Shaking his head after thinking about it, Ben said, "Sometimes it's necessary to take drastic measures to bring peace. Wiping out the Sith was necessary. We couldn't coexist so it was us or you. We won."

"Annihilating a culture to get what you believe is needed. A very Sith-like thing to say, Skywalker," Tarick commented, leaning back. "The Jedi did what was necessary to win, just as we did what was necessary to try to win. Even now, we do whatever we have to do to get what we want. Tell me the Jedi don't do the same."

"If you're trying to turn me it won't work," Ben said firmly, changing the subject. "My cousin tried to and failed. Vestara is trying to and is failing. You certainly won't succeed."

"Do not worry, Jedi. Turning you is not my intention," he lied with a bored tone, pleased when the boy seemed to believe his words. "And I have heard of your cousin, Darth Caedus. He is not what I would call a true Sith. Far too… crazy. No offense."

Ben just shrugged in what appeared to be agreement with the comment about his cousin being crazy. At least they could agree on something. Tarick knew he couldn't just straight out force feed the Dark Side down Ben's throat and try to convince him that he should turn. No, he had to confuse the Jedi, make him doubt things and feel all things negative before he could push him over the edge. And most importantly, he had to make sure Vestara played her part. The girl didn't have a clue of his intentions and that was how he wanted it. As Ben's weakness, Tarick could use her to his advantage by using their growing love for each other against the boy.

Sighing, the Sith rose to his feet and bowed his head slightly to Ben. "I can sense that you don't wish to speak with me, so I will leave you to your work."

"Yeah," Ben replied, eying through narrowed eyes. "You do that."

Without another word, Tarick made his leave to his temporary cabin with a sly smile on his face. With Vestara as his primary weapon against the Jedi, he would have Ben Skywalker as his apprentice in no time.

* * *

**_Coffee keeps me awake to write, but reviews keep me motivated to write!_  
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	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **_**First, I apologize for the delay. I've decided that I'm just going to finish this story and upload it all at once, hence why there has not been an update. Perhaps I should have mentioned that or sent everyone a PM, but I didn't think to do that, so I'm sorry for that. And I only uploaded this chapter to get a point across, so please continue reading the A/N.  
**_

_**If I receive just ONE more hateful, nasty, rude, and inappropriate review under any of my other stories about how I'm not updating fast enough on this story I will delete "**_**Dark Redemption**_**" permanently, no ifs, ands, or buts. I accept constructive criticism, whether it be positive or negative, but nasty reviews that I would readily report to Fanfiction were they not anonymous is something that I will not tolerate. I enjoy writing, but I will not tolerate being harassed. **_

_**I'm sorry if any of you think I'm blowing this out of proportion or am being childish, but it is what it is. Please, be polite with your reviews and do not leave nasty, cruel, and downright rude reviews about "**_**Dark Redemption**_**" and myself under my other stories. I'm sure most of you can understand that I do not like being repeatedly called an asshole simply because I'm not updating fast enough.  
**_

* * *

Pulling her robe tightly around her to block out the chilly air on the ship, Vestara walked quietly to Ben's cabin to speak with him now that Tarick had turned in for the night. Though she still worried that Luke or Tarick would try to eavesdrop on the conversation, she opted against drugging either of them, not wanting to anger Ben when he was already in a touchy mood.

Wearing more than the last time she entered his cabin, she stepped inside, shutting the door behind her, and frowned when she didn't see Ben. A second later she heard the shower in the refresher running and walked up to the door. For a moment she thought about knocking but decided against it, walking right on in instead.

She felt Ben tense through the Force as she pulled herself up to sit on the sink.

"Ves?" Ben asked from behind the clouded glass shower door.

"It's me," she assured him, taking off her robe. The hot mist coming from the shower made it stick uncomfortably to her skin. "I wanted to talk."

Sighing, Ben asked, "Tell me you didn't drug my dad."

She laughed. "I didn't. He's sleeping naturally."

"You here to try to seduce me or something?"

"No."

She could practically hear the frown in his voice. "Why are you in here then?"

"Like I said, I just want to talk," she replied.

"Why don't you go talk to your Sith friend?" Ben said coldly.

Despite herself, Vestara winced at his tone. "That's who I wanted to talk to you about. He's not as horrible as you think."

Ben snorted. "Yeah, sure. Did he tell you that we talked a while ago?"

"No, he didn't," she replied, not surprised. "What'd you talk about?"

"He tried to tell me that the Jedi and the Sith aren't very different. That was it really,  
he said thoughtfully, dwelling on that conversation.

Vestara frowned. Why in the galaxy would Tarick say that he thought they were the same? That wasn't like him. He had always believed that there was no stronger force than the Sith. Perhaps Ben had heard wrong. "We're far from the same."

"Yeah…yeah, I know," he replied a bit slowly. Sighing, he added, "I don't trust him, Ves. He's not here solely because of you. Maybe a part of him is, but I feel that he has darker motives."

"Is it really so hard to believe that Tarick, my closest friend among the Sith, wants to help me?"

"Yes."

Vestara wanted to smack him. If Tarick were a Jedi and Ben's friend he would expect her to trust him. But because he was a Sith, Ben couldn't accept that he was her friend and give him a chance. It was stupid. Ben trusted her and she was a Sith.

Shifting on the sink, she pulled at her shirt, not liking how it stuck to her skin. Generally if the shower was running she would be under the spray. It was plain uncomfortable to be simply sitting in the hot mist. Tapping her foot, she stared at the glass door, seeing a very blurry Ben behind it. The glass was clouded and far too fogged up to see anything but his silhouette, turned half away from her.

The desire to take a shower growing, she asked, "Will you be done in there soon? I wanna keep talking but I also want to shower."

"I just got in so it might be a while," Ben replied. "But if you wait we can switch places when I'm done and keep talking."

Vestara sighed. She was tired and wanted to be in bed in a while and she was well aware that Ben liked to take long showers, as did she, and knew that if she had to wait for him to finish so that she could shower she would be awake for quite a while. That wasn't what she wanted to do.

Hopping off the sink, she said, "I'm coming in."

"You're what?" Ben questioned, stunned and wondering if he heard right.

Already taking off her clothes, she explained casually, "I don't feel like waiting forever for you to get out so I'm coming in." She had to smirk. She could practically feel the nervousness consuming him. "I only want to wash up, I swear."

"You make it sound as though we're discussing the weather, not you taking a shower with me," Ben commented, a slight tremor in his voice.

"Relax," she said with a slight laugh, kicking her black panties over to her pile of clothes.

Taking a breath and shaking off her own nervousness, she slid open the shower and stepped inside, keeping her back to Ben and grinning when she heard him back up a few steps. Closing the door, she stepped directly under the spray, closing her eyes as she tilted her head up. The hot water felt _so _good. Ever since arriving on the station she'd felt as though she had a layer of grime on her skin and was in constant need of a shower or decontamination.

Lowering her head and wiping the water from her eyes, she looked over her shoulder at Ben, forcing herself to keep her eyes on his face and no lower. "Now we both get to take a shower and talk."

Ben swallowed. "Yeah, um, it's a good compromise."

Vestara tried hard not to smile. It was clear that he was uncomfortable with her standing naked in such a small space with him, but it was sort of amusing. "Can you hand me the shampoo?"

"What?" he asked quickly, not hearing her.

"Shampoo?"

"Oh, right." Taking the bottle from the small shelf, he handed it to her, brushing her skin with his arm by accident. "Sorry," he apologized."

"Don't be," she replied, pouring a decent amount of shampoo onto her hand.

Stepping forward to get out from under the spray, she tilted her head back to lather the shampoo in her long brown hair. Out of courtesy and respect for Ben's space, she tried to keep as far from him as possible so that she would exactly touch him. A mixture of emotions was emitting from Ben to her through the Force and it made her confused. On the one hand, there was lust and caring expressed through the Force, aimed directly at her. But on the other was nervousness the size of the Maw and an extremely uncomfortable sensation that made Vestara herself nervous.

"I really do just want to talk. I'm not in here to make you uncomfor – ow!" she hissed, hands coming up to her soap filled eyes. In trying to keep from touching Ben, her head hadn't been tilted back far enough and shampoo suds ran directly into her brown eyes, stinging like hell.

Immediately, the Jedi's hands were on her shoulders, turning her around and bringing her back under the spray. "Tilt your head up," he ordered. Doing as he said, she tilted her head up so that her face was hit by the water. Her eyes remained shut tightly while Ben wiped the suds from her eyes. "Open them," he said, pulling her out from under the water a bit. Frowning, she did so and bit her lip against the sharp pain. "You're supposed to wash your hair, not your eyes," Ben commented, cupping a handful of water and carefully rinsing out her eyes.

"No shit," she snapped, blinking rapidly. Sighing as the pain started to go away, she looked up at Ben, taking note that his hands were still cupping her face. "Thanks."

"Anytime," he replied, watching her intently. Swallowing again, he brought his hands up to tangle in her hair, drawing a long sigh from her as he massaged the shampoo into her long locks. "Don't want you to be blind by the time you step out."

"You're so considerate," she teased, closing her eyes and letting herself enjoy his gentle touch. Most of his nervousness was gone now, replaced by more positive emotions.

A moment passed before her gently pushed her under the water to rinse out the shampoo. As he did so, he sighed, "I'm not going to be able to convince you that Tarick's dangerous, am I?"

Frowning, she said softly, "No, I'm sorry. I trust him. You have to understand that I formed a close friendship with him after I became an apprentice. He was always there for me."

"I just don't want to see you get hurt," he said quietly, running his hands through her hair, electing another sigh from her.

Wanting him to feel a little better about the situation, she said, "I trust him, Ben, but I promise that just in case, I'll be careful when he's around, okay? For you I'll make that promise."

"Thank you," Ben breathed, sounding mildly relieved. They both fell silent as he washed her hair. When he finished, he pulled her out of the spray and stared down at her for a long moment, trying to keep his eyes from traveling down to her chest. Blinking a few times, he reached for the shampoo but Vestara stopped him.

Not saying a word, she held his eyes while they switched positions and she poured some shampoo into her hands before rising to her toes so that she could run her fingers through Ben's fire red hair.

The Jedi's eyes fell closed and he breathed out a sigh of contentment. With the Jedi's blue eyes closed, Vestara allowed herself to gaze at his chest just as she'd done the night she'd walked into his cabin in an attempt to seduce him. He had been attractive then, but now that she was looking at him without the intent of turning him for the moment he appeared all the more tempting before her. Positioning him under the water and rinsing the shampoo from his hair, she grabbed some soap and a cloth. Well aware of Ben's eyes watching her intently, she lathered some soap into the gray cloth and ran it over the expanse of his well muscled chest and broad shoulders. Muscles rippled under her touch and she gave him a small smile.

A shudder ran through when Ben reached for her, grasping her hips firmly before trailing his calloused fingers up her sides, making her giggle. A wide smile spread across his face and he repeated the move. Laughing, Vestara dropped the cloth and tried to get away from his merciless fingers as he tickled her. "No! That tickles!" she gasped through her giggles.

"That's the point!" Ben retorted, laughing with her.

In an effort to end the torture, she pushed against his chest only to have him retaliate by pulling her flush against his chest. Instantly her laughing stopped and only the smile remained. His skin was hotter than the water, nearly scalding her chest, but it was something she could get used to.

Licking his lips, Ben tangled his fingers in her long hair before drawing her close for a passionate kiss that made Vestara's eye widen in surprise. He'd been nervous not too long ago. What changed? As his tongue slipped between her lips, she gasped and found that she could care less what had changed and locked her arms around his neck. Arm firmly locked around her waist, the Jedi held her as close as possible, leaving nothing between them. Without her knowing it, he'd backed her up against the shower wall as he ravished her mouth, pressing his strong hips firming against her. Her fluttered shut and her breath caught in her throat when she felt his impressive erection pressing against her and instinctively ground her hips into his, trying to alleviate the throb between her legs.

A low groan came from the Jedi and his lips traveled away from her mouth to her neck, greedily suckling her pulse point and making her whimper. It all felt so very good. It hadn't been her intention to go this far, but she wasn't complaining. Then a sudden sharp sting came from the spot he was kissing and she realized he'd bit her. The small pain was an incredible turn on and she twined her fingers through his short hair as she whimpered. In the back of her mind, she though his hair felt longer but her thoughts were cut off by another nip, this one a little harder.

"Easy," she breathed, heart racing while the hand that had been against her back sank down her grasp her hip almost painfully, grinding against her roughly. When he bit her harder than before, she frowned and repeated, "Easy. That hurts."

Either he didn't hear her or he didn't care because he became even rougher and his hand in her hair yanked her head back as he painfully sampled the column of her throat. Fear washed over her and she opened her eyes and pushed against his chest to get him away from her. "Ben, stop it, you're hurting me," she snapped, hating how her voice quivered.

It was then that she caught a glimpse of night black hair instead of fire red.

Panic set in and she called upon the Force to push him away, but nothing happened. The only reaction she got was a deep chuckle that nearly made her heart stop.

"I would have thought you'd like it rough."

Pulling back, Vestara's eyes went wide with fear and shock.

She wasn't standing in Ben's arms. She was in Tarick's. Before she could utter a sound, his large hand lunged toward her and gripped her throat.

* * *

"No!" Vestara cried, bolting upright in bed and calling her lightsaber to her. Heart racing, it took her a moment to realize that she was safe in her cabin.

It had merely been a nightmare. The worst and most vivid nightmare she'd ever had.

Shaking, she deactivated her lightsaber and set it to the side. As she shifted in the bed, she noticed that her sheets were soaked through with sweat and she sniffed, feeling tears running down her cheeks. Never had she been so shaken up by a nightmare. One minute she was happy and with Ben, the next she was being attacked by Tarick. Unable to stop herself, a sob tore from her lips and she raised a shaking hand to her eyes. Where had that nightmare come from? Whey did she dream about coming so close to being with Ben only to have it turn out to be Tarick? Cold fear suddenly swept through her body and she scrambled out of bed, picking up her lightsaber on her way out of the cabin. She could care less if she was only wearing a tank top nightshirt and black panties. She had to make sure Ben was all right.

* * *

Despite having a dangerous Sith on the ship, Ben found that he was able to fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Having worked most of the day on the ion engine and being stressed out over his concerns of Tarick, he'd been exhausted. All he wanted was to sleep for hours, and so far he was getting just that.

Through the fog of sleep, he felt the bed shift under him and frowned, trying to get a grasp on what was going on. But that wasn't what stirred him out of his normally heavy slumber. There was a disturbance in the Force made up of fear and confusion so intense that it consumed his dreams. On alert, he forced himself awake, sleep from his eyes before opening them.

Much to his surprise, he saw brown hair blocking his view of the clock.

Groaning, he rolled to his back and sat up, utterly surprised to find that the brown hair belonged to Vestara. The girl was laying under the covers on the side of the bed with her back to him. She was so close to the edge that he feared she'd roll off.

Wondering what exactly she was doing in there, he asked teasingly, "Trying to seduce me again?" He expected a smart mouthed retort. Instead, Vestara shuddered and Ben realized that she was crying. "Hey, hey, what's wrong?" he asked urgently, trying to turn her over to face him but she refused to budge. Worried, he tried to comfort her. "Its okay, Ves. Whatever happened…it'll be okay."

Taking a choked gulp of air, Vestara rolled to face him and sat up, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder as she quietly cried.

Confused beyond belief, Ben rubbed her back and offered words of comfort and promises that things would be fine. This wasn't like the last time he'd seen her cried. He sensed that this time she was truly afraid of something. Shifting so that he was laying down with her in his arms, he waited for her to calm down and relax.

A few minutes went by slowly and her crying began to slow to a stop but she didn't move from his embrace, which was just fine with him. Rubbing circles into her back, he asked gently, "What happened?"

Sniffling, she murmured, "Nightmare."

That was it? Instead of saying that, he asked, "You wanna talk about it?"

She shook her head against his shoulder. "I… I don't even understand it, Ben, but I was happy for a while and then… then I got so frightened. I… I thought it was real and that I was going to be killed and…" Fresh tears began to fall and Ben kissed her forehead gently. Oddly enough, the gentle gesture seemed to make her cry even more. Obviously it wasn't just a simple nightmare.

"Do you think it was a vision?" Ben ventured.

"Force I hope not." Though he didn't know what the nightmare was about, for her sake he hoped it wasn't a vision either.

Now that he could see the clock, he saw that it was very late and pulled the covers up around them, keeping his arms securely around her. "Stay here tonight," he said, making it an offer that she could refuse if she wanted.

To his relief, Vestara nodded and draped her arm across his torso, holding onto him as though she though he was going somewhere. It broke his heart to see her so scared. All his irritation of her believing Tarick without question fled his mind, and all he could think about was making Vestara comfortable.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, Vestara asked, "What did you talk to Tarick about?"

How would she know that he'd talked to Tarick? Figuring that she must have talked to her friend at some point, he said, "We talked about you for a second and I told him you liked it here, but then he started going on about how the Jedi and the Sith are fairly similar. And as ridiculous as it sounds, he had some good points actually."

He expected her to laugh, but she shuddered and tightened her arm around his waist. "I was afraid you'd say that."

"Why?" he asked gently.

"Because in my nightmare you told me that you two talked about the Sith and Jedi not being different."

Ben considered this and thought for a long moment. "You think you had some kind of vision?"

"Of the past?" she questioned, shaking her head. "No, but… it feels like the nightmare was, I don't know, a warning. I don't know, it's confusing."

"It's all right," he murmured, kissing her forehead. "Just go to sleep. We'll talk about it in the morning."

Vestara nodded against his shoulder.

Instead of going to sleep right away, he stayed awake until he was positive that she was asleep before yawning and getting comfortable with her in his arms. Glancing at the nightstand, he noticed that her lightsaber was next to his and he frowned.

What in the galaxy could have made her so afraid?

* * *

_**Coffee keeps me awake to write, but reviews keep me motivated to write!**_

_**I might start updating every Friday, but I've yet to decide. Either I'm going to do that, or I'm going to wait until I have it all finished so I can upload it all at once.**_


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **_**In regards to reviewing flames, I can tolerate them when they are made in regards to a particular fanfic or whatever, but not when they are aimed at me personally and whatnot. However, I will admit that I was already having a rotten day when I saw those reviews, so I did overeat with how I took it, though I still think I was justified in being ticked off.**_

_**That being said, I have received an apology from the individual so all is good now, no hard feelings, and time to move on :) **_

_**Also, I WILL be updating every Friday or Saturday. Unless told otherwise, expect an update on those days!**_

* * *

Vestara was ignoring Tarick and he had no idea why. As far as he knew, he'd given her no reason to expect fowl play. She should be smiling around him, not glaring and making a hasty retreat upon his entry into a room. Perhaps Ben had something to do with her sudden behavior.

While walking back to his cabin after getting breakfast, he saw Vestara exit the Jedi's cabin wearing very little. All signs pointed to them having had sex, but he sensed that she had possibly just slept in there or had paid a short visit.

He hoped nothing to serious had happened, not wanting his plans to be ruined.

Eating his food in his cabin, he contemplated over how best to approach Ben later on.

From their first conversation, he was able to sense that Ben found some small truth in what he said about the Sith and Jedi, but that was only slight progress. He would have to go into more detail about the two Orders if he was going to convince the boy that both the Jedi _and _the Sith had to be eliminated to restore balance and create a new, more powerful Order.

Tarick felt that the Sith had grown soft and weak, Jacen Solo and Vestara being proof of that. Jacen, from his research, seemed crazier than a Sith should be, and Tarick could sense the Light contaminating Vestara. But it wasn't just them. Growing up, he believed that the Rule of Two was the right way to go and that so many Sith and Jedi was pointless. There was far too much competition. If there were only a master and apprentice, the only people they would truly have to wary of is each other. The entire Sith Order needed to be cleansed to remove those who were weak so that Tarick could take control. Killing the Sith was something he suspected Ben would want to do, but it would take a lot of persuasion and manipulation to get him to believe that the Jedi had to be wiped out as well.

Once he was able to convince the boy of this and the two Orders were defeated, Tarick would rule the galaxy with Ben as his apprentice. It couldn't be just any Force-sensitive, the apprentice had to be Ben Skywalker because of his heritage and how deep the Force ran in his family.

As he mused over how best to execute his plan, he sensed the Jedi in question approaching and continued to eat, feigning surprise when the boy walked into his cabin abruptly.

"Skywalker," he greeted. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Leaning back against the closed door, Ben folded his arms and stared at him for a long moment as though he were debating on whether or not to speak or leave. "Does Vestara have nightmares a lot?"

Tarick frowned, confused by the question. "Pardon?"

"You've known Vestara for years so you must know her very well. I'm asking if you've ever known her to have nightmares?"

Searching his memory, Tarick shook his head. "No, not that I am aware of. Why, has she had one?" That might very well be the reason for the girl's strange behavior.

Hesitant, Ben replied, "Yes, she had one last night. It shook her up to the point where she started crying."

"I see." Wanting to learn more about this nightmare, Tarick sat back in the chair and reached out with the Force. Though the boy kept it buried, the Sith felt the deep concern embedded in him and took a guess that the nightmare wasn't normal, at least not in the teenager's mind. "I sense there is more to this nightmare than you are telling me."

"Yes," he replied flatly but did not appear to want to reveal any more about it to him. That or Vestara hadn't told him anything worth sharing.

When the silence dragged on, Tarick sighed in mild irritation and asked, "Why did you come to speak with me if you do not intend to talk?"

Ben didn't answer right away, but when he did speak, Tarick heard the reluctance in his voice as he said, "Because I'd rather not ask a Sith for advice. But I don't see any other option since you apparently know Vestara best given that you've known her longer than I have."

Tarick fought to keep his feelings neutral. It was difficult when he felt ecstatic.

That was the link he needed.

Because he knew a lot about Vestara, Ben was willing to talk to him, thus opening the door to Tarick and his dark plans. "While I cannot explain her sudden nightmare, if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer."

At the offer of answering more questions, Ben's curiosity grew a fraction, though he kept it well hidden. "You said the Jedi and the Sith are similar."

Surprised that he wasn't asking about Vestara, yet unsurprised that he was asking about their earlier chat, he nodded. "I did."

"How did you come to believe that? It seems like a belief the Sith would frown upon."

"I kept my beliefs well hidden," Tarick replied. "I played the part of a committed Sith when I truly believe they have grown weak. And from what I have heard of the Jedi these days, they are just as weak – confused and disorganized."

"That's not true," Ben insisted. "It's because of the current government that the Jedi are having a hard time."

"And the Jedi are just letting themselves be stepped on." Relaxing into his chair, he asked, "Do you not think that the Jedi should stand up and fight? Stand up for themselves? The Sith would."

"We aren't Sith," Ben reminded him, but he paused, thinking over Tarick's words for a moment.

"Speak your mind, Ben," Tarick urged. "Who here do I have to divulge your secrets? Vestara? Your father?" Shaking his head, he added, "I assure you, this topic is not one I readily wish to be shared outside this room with my dear friend and the great Master Skywalker. What is said will not venture beyond these walls."

Ben gave him a doubtful look, as he rightfully should, but the contemplation was there and he glanced away, debating on it.

The teenager needed to vent his doubts, his uncertainties. Vestara was facing her own, and Luke would likely not understand and rant about Jedi teachings, which left Ben backed into a corner, Tarick being his only way out.

Reluctantly, Ben finally sighed, "I admit, I do wish we could do more. At times, the Code seems to keep us from doing what needs to be done."

Tarick had been taught of the Jedi Code and their rules as a child so that he would know the difference between theirs and the Sith's, but he'd learned lately that the Jedi Code had changed quite a bit. "Attachments are no longer forbidden, correct? Jedi are permitted to marry now?"

Taken by surprise at the question, Ben nodded. "Yes and no. Jedi can marry, but we have to be able to let go of our attachment to the person if they die or turn to the Dark Side. We can't let it rule us."

"Interesting," Tarick said almost to himself. "We Sith have similar rules. We must understand that anything we can posses can be taken away. Vestara learned this first hand."

Tilting his head in curiosity, Ben asked, "How so?"

"After meeting her, she informed me that her master had been about to kill her pet because once she became an apprentice she had to let go of attachments for a time. Vestara accepted this and did not attempt to stop her master from killing her pet. Because she was willing to let her pet go, the beast's life was spared." Tarick remembered just how relieved Vestara had sounded when she described the event, happy that her pet wasn't killed.

"She never told me that," Ben said quietly.

"I have no doubt. She can be quite private when she chooses to be."

"What else can you tell me about her?" he asked, genuine curiosity shining through his wariness.

Rising from the chair, Tarick moved to sit at the foot of the bed and politely motioned for Ben to sit in the now vacant chair. "That all depends. What would you like to know about her?"

The temptation to learn more about Vestara was too great and Ben relaxed, sitting in the chair, starting a tense but informative conversation with the Sith.

* * *

A cold sense of dread had settled in Luke's gut, never fading and growing in intensity whenever Tarick Graylo was in the immediate vicinity. Ben was correct, the young man's intentions were very dark and he was very dangerous, but Luke would rather have Tarick where he could keep tabs on him. Unfortunately that meant that the Sith had to stay on the _Jade Shadow _until it was fixed and that wouldn't be for days. Thus far Tarick wasn't causing trouble and was being surprisingly civil and polite. From the time he arrived on the ship he'd been more polite to him than Vestara had ever been. Oddly enough, that made Luke even more concerned.

The girl acted like a Sith from the start, but Tarick was trying too hard not to. Luke wasn't a fool and anyone who tried too hard to be liked and trusted was up to no good.

As he examined the engine that was busted, he thought about just how much of a coincidence it was that the engine seemed to malfunctions severely so close to where Tarick was residing. Though he didn't know how and couldn't be sure, he suspected that Tarick had planned their landing on Haven Port and was somehow responsible for the ships damages. He didn't care how paranoid he sounded – the engine malfunctioning and them landing on Haven Port had been planned.

Soft footsteps came up to him from behind and he didn't have to turn around or use the Force to know who it was. Only Vestara could walk so quietly with boots on.

Keeping his attention on the engine, he asked, "Is there something you need, Vestara?"

"I was wondering if you had a moment to talk?" Her tone suggested she'd rather be anywhere else and talking to anyone else. Whatever had her wanting to talk to him, Luke decided, was probably something important.

"Of course." Setting down his tools, he extended his hand to the spare stool. "What's the problem?"

Taking a seat, she fiddled with her fingers and for a moment he saw her as nothing but a nervous girl and he felt sorry for her. "Last night I had a nightmare, but I fear that it was something else. I don't believe it was a vision, but… it was more than just a bad dream."

"What was it about?" he questioned. It was odd for her to come to speak with him about something as trivial as a nightmare and he was concerned that it might be a trick of some kind, but he sensed no deception through the Force or in her voice.

"I was with Ben and we were, well, um, we were talking and things… escalated," she said, a faint blush coming to her cheeks and Luke knew what she meant by "escalated". To say that made him even more uneasy and the conversation much more awkward was a serious understatement, but he nodded for her to continue. "Anyways, I was happy, very happy, but something happened to Ben. He just… changed. I tried to use the Force to get him away from me but nothing happened and the next thing I knew I was staring at Tarick, not Ben. He was about to grab my throat when I woke up." Sighing, she added. "I thought it was just a nightmare but it seemed too real so I asked Ben what he talked to Tarick about, because in my dream he told me that they had talked about how the Sith and the Jedi are supposedly the same. When I asked him, he said they'd had that exact conversation. It can't be a dream if I dreamed about _that_, could it?"

Nightmare or not, he could see why she would be distressed, and he was worried himself by what she had dreamed. But the problem was that he wasn't sure if he could believe her or not. It wasn't her fault exactly that he couldn't trust her. She was a born and raised Sith. Betrayal and deception was in her nature.

"How am I to know that you are being honest with me?" he asked bluntly. No point in dancing around it.

Hurt clouded her eyes but she didn't look away and kept her posture straight. "You're just going to have to take what I say on faith."

Luke considered this for a long moment then sighed. "How did you feel after you woke up?" he asked.

Vestara let out a breath of relief that he was going to listen to her. "I felt… scared, terrified even. Thinking about it now, it seems so silly to react in such a manner. Yes, I should have been upset by it, but I started sobbing and shaking afterwards. It was as though everything was falling apart and I could do nothing to stop it. I was heartbroken," she confessed.

Leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, he thought over her nightmare. It certainly sounded a lot like a vision of some kind. He found that with visions, one often felt the emotions that would come with it once it came to be. What exactly it was warning Vestara about was a mystery, but clearly the Force was trying to tell her that Tarick was dangerous and it sounded like she was starting to believe it. But even though he was willing to have some faith in her, something nagged at him.

Why was the Sith girl telling him of all people? He wasn't her favorite person and she wasn't his, so it didn't make sense for her to come to him.

"Vestara, why are you telling me this?"

Vestara didn't reply right away and he sensed conflict and a little anger in her. When she did speak, her voice was resigned. "Because I didn't know who else to go to with this. I need… I need help interpreting the nightmare, or vision, or whatever it was, and I can't do it by myself, nor do I want Ben to know about it in such detail."

Luke felt sorry for her. She never acted like this, desperate and worried, and parental instincts told him to help her, even if she was a Sith. As a Jedi, he didn't particularly want to help a Sith, but how could he turn someone away who was shaken up and admitted that they needed help? Betrayal and manipulation was something the girl did often, but he only felt honesty radiating from her.

She had no other motives, she just wanted help.

"I believe it's safe to say that it was a vision. From the way you describe it, what you saw exactly may not come to pass, but the vision was more of a warning, a prelude of what's to come at some point."

Vestara arched a brow. "Somehow I seriously doubt Ben will turn into Tarick unless he gets a face change. Even then, he's a bit too short."

The Jedi had to smile a bit at that. While he was a little taller than Vestara, Ben was shorter than most boys his age and was shorter than Tarick. "True, but it could mean that Tarick isn't being honest with you."

Frowning, the girl asked, "How do you get that from Ben's face changing and my negative feelings?"

"Tarick gives you a false sense of hope, of peace – you being happy for a short time in your vision – then turns on you and reveals that everything he said was a lie, leaving you heartbroken – Ben changing to Tarick and reaching out to strangle you," Luke explained as best as he could. Taking on the same tone he would use with Ben, he added, "You must see that it's an awfully big coincidence that we are here with engine trouble at the same time he is here."

Vestara shook her head, not wanting to believe it. That was to be expected as he was her friend and a fellow Sith. But she and Ben were also so obviously attracted to each other, so Luke was aware that she was bound to be torn between who to side with.

"Maybe," she muttered. "But I fear there's more to it. I would be upset, but I wouldn't be heartbroken over Tarick lying to me. There's something I'm not seeing."

For the next hour, the Jedi Grand Master counseled the young Sith, helping her pick through her vision, fleetingly wondering what Ben was up to.

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_**Coffee keeps me awake to write, but reviews keep me motivated to write!**_


	7. Chapter 7

Life was becoming one big headache for Vestara.

Though she'd spoken to Luke hours ago, she was still dwelling over their conversation. Even though she didn't want to admit it, it was obvious that the Force was warning her about Tarick. The mere thought of him turning on her made her feel sick but it wouldn't be too shocking if he did. That was their way, the Sith way. Even so, she wanted solid proof before she passed judgment on her longtime friend.

A short while ago, Ben had left to get some supplies for the ion engine. She'd seen the makings of a smile on his face before he left and couldn't help but be overly curious as to what he was up to. No doubt she would find out exactly what he was up to later, but for now she wanted to find Tarick. With Luke working on the engine some more and Ben gone, it was the moment of privacy she'd been looking for, not wanting to speak with him while the others were within hearing range.

Wandering directly to Tarick's temporary cabin, Vestara barged on in without knocking. The polite act was pointless as the other Sith would likely sense her before she was even outside the door.

"Vestara," Tarick greeted, his voice deep and smooth. He was sitting with his legs folded under him on the floor, eyes closed. Not meditating, but relaxing. Cocking his head to the side, he said, "You seem distressed."

"You could say that." Shutting the door and locking it, she crossed her arms over her chest and glared down at her friend – if that was what he was. "I had a dream about you," she said and Tarick opened his dark brown eyes.

"Did you?" he questioned, not sounding surprised at all.

"Started out as a great dream, then it changed, became something horrible. I was with Ben and he suddenly became you, and you tried to strangle me."

That succeeded in getting a reaction out of him and he tensed ever so slightly. The tension dissipated a bit and a slow smile came to his face while his eyes closed. "Hmmm, it appears Ben's concerns were warranted."

Vestara's heart stopped briefly and she lowered her arms to her sides. "You spoke with Ben again?"

"Yes," Tarick replied with a slow nod. "He was so concerned about your reaction to your nightmare that he came to me to learn more about you in hopes that he could help. It's so very easy to get him to stay and chat if the subject is about you."

Tarick's tone worried Vestara. The way he talked about her made it sound like she was… a tool or something. "What did you tell him?" she asked, struggling to keep her voice casual.

"I told him about never knowing you to have nightmares, about Tikk, about what you were deprived of, and other trivial things that grabbed his attention. I also talked to him about the Sith and the Jedi. Both Orders are becoming rather weak, don't you think, Vestara?"

"What kind of game are you playing, Tarick?" she demanded.

Taking mock offense, he opened his eyes and stared at her. "Game? There is no game."

"Like hell there isn't," she snapped. "I had that dream for a reason and I'm starting to see why Ben and Luke don't trust you. I was happy to see you, but now… I'm not sure I can trust you."

"Since when has trust mattered to you, Vestara?" Tarick questioned.

Her words became stuck in her throat.

Before she met the Skywalkers, trust was nothing more than a word. To some degree she never even trusted her own father. She loved him, but she could always count on Gavar to use her to get what he wanted. He'd even suggested that she sleep with Ben if it would help get him to the Dark Side. Of course that was the last resort, but that suggestion came from her father. What was worse was that she feared that if he saw her, he would kill her for her apparent betrayal. Not trusting her father never mattered before, but now, after knowing Ben for so long, trust was something she was starting to hold close and value. She trusted Ben, and to be honest she even trusted Luke, but she found her trust in Tarick disappearing.

When she failed to answer, Tarick smirked. "Ben's Jedi nature is getting to you, making you soft."

"I'm just as strong as I've ever been, my friend," she replied, half believing it. It was strange that she felt weak for questioning things that she wouldn't have once, but strong because she felt as though she had at least two people she could count on.

"Your definition of strong differs from mine," he commented, rising to his feet, approaching her.

If he was trying to intimidate her with his height and piercing brown eyes, it wasn't working. She wasn't some weak girl who would back down from the man in front of her. She held her own and didn't let anyone make her feel intimidate her. Even if she were intimidated, she wouldn't show it.

Getting back to why she came to his quarters, she said, "I had that dream for a reason, Tarick. I'm not entirely sure what it was warning me about, but I'm not stupid and I know that at least one thing it's telling me is not to trust you."

"What have I done so far to warrant this distrust?" he asked with a sigh, bored and curious at the same time.

"So far? Nothing," she admitted grudgingly. "But you're a Sith, and as Ben and Luke say, betrayal is essential to being a Sith."

Tarick eyed her intently, studying her. "Perhaps you have forgotten, but _you _are a Sith as well, Vestara. Betrayal is in your nature just as it is in mine." Reaching out, he cupped her cheek with mock affection. "You can hide what you are, but you will always be a Sith with a dark heart. Sooner or later, _Sith Apprentice_ Vestara Khai will come back to the surface. I'm eager to see what happens when that day comes."

A painful lump formed in her throat.

She wasn't trying to bury her Sith heritage, was she?

She didn't know anymore. At times when she was with Ben she was able to forget about being a Sith and just be herself. Those were the times when she felt truly free. But when she was left alone again the conflicting emotions and conflicting cultures made her question who exactly her loyalty was with. Was her place with the Sith who she grew up with and who were also intent on taking her life, or was it with the Jedi she was taught to hate and yet trusted? Siding with the Jedi sounded better and safer, but she was born a Sith and had been raised as such. Choosing wasn't as easy as it sounded.

Biting her tongue, she batted Tarick's hand away and stormed from the room. If she stayed in there any longer she wouldn't be able to shield her emotions from him and her emotions would give him the pleasure of seeing how conflicted she was. She was not about to let him have that pleasure. The only person she would consider letting her shields down around was Ben because she knew that he wouldn't use them against her.

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Frustrated to no end, the Ben wandered down the streets of Haven Port, looking for something – _anything_! After he'd finished purchasing some essential parts for the busted ion engine he'd set to work on finding something for Vestara, wanting to get her a gift of some kind.

Having no idea what she liked, he was having some trouble.

His first thought was to look at jewelry, but he didn't think she was the type to wear something fancy all the time. There were some necklaces he thought she would like but were too formal for her to wear at any time and other necklaces were too plain. Where was Jaina when he needed her? At the very least she could give him some ideas.

Deciding to skip over the jewelry he saw, he searched for some knickknacks that she might like. Again, nothing seemed good enough for her. He wanted to make sure she got something special, but everything he'd seen as of yet was too traditional and nothing he believed she would genuinely like.

There was vender he passed who was selling small animals of various species, and he didn't dare stop to peer at the creatures. The ship was chaotic enough without some animal scurrying around. Besides, after that story Tarick told him of Vestara and her pet, he wasn't sure that would be a good idea anyways.

One of the stands on the street caught his eye and he ventured over. Practically bare, the stand held only some holos of ornate jewelry, unique in every way, different chains for necklaces or bracelets were laid out on the stand, and all sorts of stones and gems. Nothing looked worth buying, but the holos of necklaces, bracelets, and rings looked unique enough to consider.

"Looking for something for your girl, young man?" the elderly lady behind the stand asked, a knowing smile on her wrinkled face.

"I wouldn't really call her my girl, but yes. Are these for sale?" he asked, indicating to the holos.

"I'm afraid not, son," she replied, rising from her chair and pulling out some more holos to show him. "All of these are custom made and one of a kind." Pointing to one necklace in particular, she said, "This man, bless his heart, was in a near panic trying to find something for his wife. It was their anniversary, you see, and he hadn't bought anything for her yet. I showed him some of the gems I have and we sat down and designed that necklace for her."

"Out of all this?" He looked at the chains, the clasps, the stones and gems, and other items.

She nodded, taking no offense to his unimpressed tone. "They might not look like much on their own, but combine them, maybe add something personal to it, and they become something special."

That almost described Vestara. Separate each of her traits and they wasn't much to smile at, but put together they made Vestara, the girl Ben cared most about.

Glancing at the woman, he asked, "What do you mean by adding something personal to it?"

"Sometimes men and women bring a jewel, stone, crystal, or even a very small piece of a ship and ask to have it be a part of the jewelry. That makes the gift special. It comes from the heart," she said with a grandmotherly smile.

The more Ben thought about the more he liked the idea of giving Vestara something custom made. It would show her that he cared about her and put some thought into the gift. But something was still missing and he became even more frustrated. He wanted to have something made for her, but none of the gems and stones looked good enough. There wasn't anything on the _Jade Shadow _that would be a good addition. While she liked the ship, it wasn't that important to her.

"You are a Jedi, yes?"

Turning his eyes to the elderly lady, Ben was caught off guard by the question but guessed that she must have seen his lightsaber. He nodded. "Yes."

"Is this girl a Jedi as well?" she asked.

"Not exactly," he muttered.

"Hmmm, well..." she murmured thoughtfully, thinking. "Do you perhaps some piece of scrap metal or a loose end from your lightsaber that is no longer needed? I assure you, I can make necklaces and bracelets from almost anything."

The idea hit him in an instant and he dug around in one of the pouches on his belt, pulling out a blue crystal. Like his father and many other Jedi, he carried a spare crystal everywhere he went just in case something ever happened to the one in his lightsaber.

Giving the unused, impersonal crystal to Vestara didn't seem right. Instead, he took his lightsaber from his belt and worked on removing the crystal from inside it, replacing it with the spare. Holding the one he'd taken from his lightsaber in his hand, he examined it closely. It showed all the signs of having been used for years, no longer as shiny as it had once been. It had taken many lives as well as saved many more. He valued that crystal far more than the other one.

Making his decision, he showed it to the woman. "Think I can have this made into a necklace or something for her?"

"Absolutely! She'll love it," the woman promised with a wide smile. Taking a seat and waving him over to the extra chair beside her, she added, "You just take a seat, pick out a few things, and I'll see if we can't come up with something special."

Grinning, Ben came around and took a seat.

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_**Coffee keeps me awake to write, but reviews keep me motivated to write!**_


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **_**Just a little something that I want to mention beforehand, in this fic Ben is eighteen (recently turned eighteen) and Vestara is seventeen. I did the math regarding the year they were born and the year these events take place, and that's how I came to this conclusion, more or less. Am I correct? I really don't know, but that's my take on things.**_

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It had been hours since Ben returned to the _Jade Shadow _and he hadn't talked to her very much. He didn't seem angry and he polite whenever they did talk, but he always kept the conversation short and spent most of his time working on the engine while his father took a break for the day. She wasn't worried that she'd done something to upset him, but she was more than a little curious. If he wasn't angry with her then what was his reason for avoiding her? Deciding that she'd find out later, she went back to tuning her lightsaber.

Sitting comfortably on her bed with her back against the wall and her legs stretched out in front of her, she had various little tools laid out next to her. Working on her lightsaber was something she found to be relaxing and she needed to relax.

A short time passed and she felt Ben's presence as he neared her cabin. Taking a guess that he was coming to see her, she waved her hand towards the door and it slid open a few seconds before he got to the door way. Instantly the mouthwatering smell of food caught her attention and she looked up to see Ben walking in with two plates filled with food/

"What's this? Room service?" she asked, setting her lightsaber the side.

"I didn't see you come into the galley to get dinner so I figured I'd bring it to you," he replied, sitting next to her on the bed and handing one of the plates to her.

She had to smile at his thoughtfulness. "Thanks."

Sitting up a bit more and setting the plate on her lap, she waved the door closed and eagerly dug into the food. She was hungry, having not gone out to get anything to eat for dinner, but she'd wanted to wait until Tarick was out of the galley before getting something. He'd sat at the table longer than he needed to and she felt that he had done so on purpose just to irritate her. Ben bringing her something to eat made her day a little better.

"So, why were you ignoring me earlier?" she asked around a mouthful of fruit.

Frowning, he said, "I wasn't ignoring you."

"You weren't exactly talking to me either," she pointed out. "Whenever I tried to talk you kept it short and said you were busy."

"I was just thinking about something, that's all. I wasn't intentionally trying to ignore you," he said sincerely.

"What were you thinking about?" Ben just shrugged, fighting a smile. "Come on, tell me."

"… I was debating on whether or not to take you out to dinner."

Vestara stared at him for a long moment. He'd wanted to take her out to dinner? "It took you all this time to decide?"

Smiling a bit, he nodded. "I couldn't decide if you'd like to or not."

Taking a drink of the water he'd brought, she asked, "What made you decide not to take me out?"

Smiling wider, he said, "You'll see after you're done eating."

Eying him, she debated on whether or not to ask him what he was up to. Surprises weren't something she generally enjoyed, preferring to know what was coming beforehand. But she decided against it, figuring that it couldn't be anything bad given how he was having a difficult time wiping that smile from his face as he ate, and so she went back to eating in comfortable silence in her cabin.

She wondered why exactly he had considered taking her out to eat in the first place. She wouldn't have minded, but it was easier to be herself around him when they were alone. In public she always felt mildly uneasy, like she had to watch her back all the time, even more now that her fellow Sith wanted her dead. It was nice to just sit and eat with him in a familiar place such as her cabin, in peace.

Finishing up her meal, she set the plate on the nightstand and leaned back against the wall while Ben finished up. Almost as soon as he finished, she sensed him become nervous and frowned. "What is it?"

Shifting closer to her and turning to face her, he said, "I got you something."

"You got me something?" she repeated, making sure she heard him right, surprised.

He nodded. "Yeah. That's why I was out so long today. For the life of me I couldn't figure out what to get you," he said with a slight laugh.

A smile playing at her lips, she asked, "Why'd you get me anything in the first place?"

For a moment, Ben stared at her like she was crazy. Then comprehension dawned on him. "You don't know what day it is, do you?"

"Is there something special about today?" she questioned, utterly lost and confused. To her surprised, Ben laughed. "What?" she demanded, growing more than a little irritated.

"Nothing, I'm just surprised is all," he explained as he stopped laughing, though his smile stayed firmly in place.

"Surprised about _what_?"

Digging through one of the pockets in his brown robe, he pulled out a long, black velvet box and held it out to her.

Frowning despite her curiosity, she took the box and held it for a moment. Glancing at Ben for a second, she turned her eyes back to her gift and opened the lid. Her breath caught in her throat as she carefully removed the necklace from the box.

The chain of the necklace was simple, silver in color, with small black gems placed at every inch, but it was the pendant that caught her eye. It was a brilliant blue crystal, slightly worn, with a thin metal wire twining delicately around it like a piece of silver thread attaching it to the chain. She'd had many ornate and beautiful things growing up as a child until she became an apprentice, but this was by far the best gift she'd ever received. It was simple and beautiful at the same time.

"Ben, it's beautiful. But…" Upon closer inspection of the crystal, her eyes widened a bit and she asked, "Is this…?"

He nodded. "It was my lightsaber crystal. I didn't know what to get you so I had the necklace custom made with it. The thing's been a part of my weapon for years. It's important to me, but I want you to have it."

"But what about your lightsaber?"

"I had an extra crystal," he replied. Taking the necklace from her, he smiled a bit. When he held it up, she took the hint and turned around on the bed and held her long braid of brown hair out of the way as he put it around her neck and tried to clasp it.

He fumbled with it a few times, mumbling an oath under his breath, and she bit back a laugh.

"You've fought and defeated dozens of enemies but you can't handle the mechanics of a necklace?" she teased with a smile.

"I've never had to put a necklace on someone before," he replied and she could hear the smile in his voice tinged with a little embarrassment. Finally getting it on her with some difficulty, he sighed and leaned forward to place a soft kiss on the side of her neck that sent shivers up her spine. "Happy birthday, Ves."

Vestara blinked as comprehension struck her.

It was her seventeenth birthday! That was why he'd gotten her something!

Keeping track of the day wasn't something she kept in the front of her mind and she'd completely forgotten, which was ridiculous because her and Ben's birthdays were only a few weeks a part, as she'd learned on his eighteenth birthday the other week when Luke got him a… she couldn't even remember what it was considering that they'd been under stressful situations.

Of all the things she could forget, she'd forgotten her birthday, a day that should always be stuck within her mind. It seemed so silly that she had to laugh.

"It is, isn't it?" Her laughter died away and she asked, "How'd you know?"

"Tarick told me."

As quickly as it came, her smile faded at the mention of Tarick. She was thrilled that Ben had gotten her something for her birthday, but was put down by the mention of her so-called friend.

Sensing her change of attitude, Ben ran his hand down her arm. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Ves…"

Sighing, she said, "I talked to Tarick today and it wasn't exactly pleasant."

"How so?" Ben asked concerned.

"That dream I had involved him and it just embedded this bad feeling in my chest," she explained, deciding not to mention that she had talked to his father and agreed that it was some kind of vision. "I confronted him and told him that I wasn't sure I could trust him because, as you and your father say, Sith are known for their betrayal." Pausing, she looked down at her hands in her lap. "He reminded me that I'm a Sith too and that betrayal is also a part of me. He said that I can hide what I am, but that I'll always be a Sith. I think I needed to hear him say that for it to hit me," she murmured. Turning around, she sat a few inches away from Ben and looked him in the eyes. "When I told him that I couldn't trust him because he was a Sith, I didn't even think of myself in the same category."

Taking her hand in his and running his calloused thumb over her knuckles, he said, "You don't have to be a Sith, Vestara."

"That's the thing, I _am _a Sith in every way. I was born one. I was raised one. That is all I know how to be, Ben," she replied, trying to ignore the lump in her throat. "That's all I can be. Turning to the Light isn't as simple as you think. I'm not even sure I want to."

"But you're not sure you want to be a Sith either." It wasn't a question but she nodded anyways. "I have an idea on what you can be."

"What?"

"Yourself."

A small smile came to her lips, thus bringing one to his as well. "It's that easy, huh?"

"You're being yourself right now. It must be easy." His attempt at brightening the mood was working and she laughed softly.

"It's easy when I'm around you," she said quietly, a little embarrassed to admit it. Letting out a shaky laugh, she reached up to hold the crystal pendant. "I really am a mood killer, aren't I?"

"Only a little."

They both laughed.

Holding his eyes with hers, she leaned into him and hesitated only slightly before kissing him softly. "Thank you for… well, for everything I guess."

"Anytime." Cupping the back of her neck, he pulled her in for another kiss, this one firmer and more passionate, leaving them both gasping for air.

"Hey, Ben," she breathed, less than an inch from his face.

"Yeah?"

"The other day you told me to stop thinking about the Sith and the Jedi and asked what _I _wanted." Forgetting about the Sith and whether they would approve or not, she murmured, "I want _you_."

A look of pride, lust, and something else flashed across his face and then he was kissing her fiercely.

Arms twining around his neck, she moved her legs on either side of him and sat on his lap, pressing flush against him until there was nothing between them but clothing. She complied when she felt his tongue run across her lips, tangling her own with his and snaking her fingers through his hair, keeping the sweet contact.

Losing her breath somewhere in his mouth, she shivered as his hands ran up and down her arms before going around her waist and turning to pin her to the bed. Her heart pounded in her chest and she whimpered when he suckled her tongue gently until she saw stars.

As his hand ventured down to her hip, she broke the kiss, gasping for much needed air and place a hand against his chest. "Ben, I want you, all of you, but…" she trailed off, trying to think of how best to tell him she needed at least a few hours to calm herself and ease her nerves.

Easing some of his weight off her, he asked breathlessly, "You think we're going too fast?"

"No, not at all," she lied, too proud to own up to being nervous. However, she thought quick on her feet and said, "But last I checked your dad was still awake and I'm sure he'd wonder where you are. Personally, I'd rather him not come in here and find us in a state of undress."

Ben shuddered above her as the unpleasant thought entered his mind. "Don't even say it, you'll jinx it."

Laughing, Vestara bit her lip lightly and reached up to brush her lips against his jaw in a feather light kiss. "Come back after he goes to bed." Another kiss the corner of his lips. "I always finish what I start, one way or another." She neared his lips but never kissed him. Instead she slipped out from under him, grinning at his pained look.

"You're gonna make me wait for what could be hours?"

"Yep."

Ben groaned. "You're cruel."

"You just now figuring that out, Skywalker? Now get out of here before your dad comes looking for you and finds you standing at attention." Idly letting her eyes travel lower.

Shuddering again at the thought, he pulled his Jedi robe around him so that the evidence of his want for Vestara was hidden, and stood. "You know you're going to pay for this when I come back," he commented, eyes dark.

A shiver ran down her spine and gave him a wicked smiled. "I look forward to it."

* * *

_**Coffee keeps me awake to write, but reviews keep me motivated to write!**_


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **_**This chapter contains strong sexual content. If you don't like it, don't read it. If you don't like to read sexual content but read it anyways, don't get all cranky about it.**_

_**And you know how I said my math made Ben around eighteen and Vestara seventeen? Well, my math seemed right, but in **_**"Ascension"**_** Luke states in some chapter the Ben is sixteen, so my math was a tad off. But either way, in my fic they are eighteen and seventeen – simply put, it isn't a huge mistake and I don't want to go back and reword a few paragraphs here and there in this fic. It is what it is.**_

* * *

Sitting on her bed, Vestara watched as the minutes ticked by and turned into hours, fidgeting restlessly here and there. Fleetingly she wondered if making her wait so long was Ben's way of making her pay for teasing him earlier, but she doubted it, knowing full well that he would want to make sure that his father was asleep before he came to her. The last thing either of them needed was Luke walking in on them, and she blanched at the thought. But as time went by, she found herself becoming more and more nervous.

Yes, she wanted Ben, but what if events in her vision came to be while they were together? She didn't mind a little pain, even enjoyed it to some degree while fighting because it made her feel alive with adrenaline, but she certainly wanted him to stop if she asked. What if he didn't listen to her if she asked him to go easy? In her heart she knew that he would listen, but that vision haunted a good portion of her thoughts and she couldn't help but worry.

That wasn't the only reason she worried though.

While she was Lady Rhea's apprentice, her master had told her how to manipulate men, how to give pleasure and bend them to her will, but she was never told her how to make love to someone.

If she were to be entirely honest with herself, Vestara didn't even know if she was capable of love. It wasn't exactly an emotion the Sith were known for feeling without expecting something in return.

Sighing, she rose from the bed to check herself in the mirror again, feeling the need to do so every few minutes.

As soon as Ben left she'd changed into the nicest undergarments she had, though unfortunately most of those garments were ordinary so she had to settle with a matching bra and pantie set that was black with black lace lining the edges. It was simple, but it would do. Knowing that she'd have to wait a while, she tossed a thin grey nightshirt on as well and had studied herself in the mirror countless times, wondering if she should change into something else, put her hair up or just leave it down.

Frowning at her reflection, she debated on whether or not she should try to cover up the scar at the corner of her mouth, feeling completely naked without so much as a hint of face paint to distract from the scar. Ben did say that he loved that scar, but she hated it and hated the torment it had caused her since she was a young girl.

Eying the flaw with contempt, she finally turned away from the mirror and let it stay visible. If the Jedi loved it, she would leave it to be seen.

Fiddling with her braid, she pulled off the band and let her long brown hair flow freely down her back as she lay back down on the bed. She'd lost count of how many times she'd braided and unbraided her hair.

Staring up at the ceiling, Vestara scolded herself for being so nervous. This was Ben coming to her, not some stranger, and certainly not Tarick, but Ben Skywalker, the young man she care so much about.

Still, before they did anything she wanted to talk to him, to reassure herself that this was a good idea. More than anything she wanted to be with him, but… did he really want to be with her after the stunt she'd tried to pull the other night?

There was the possibility that he might believe that this was just an attempt to seduce him again. It was bound to cross his mind, and she fully believed that it had at some point. The truth of the matter was that seducing him to the Dark Side was the last thing she was thinking about at the moment. She wanted to be with him because of her feelings for him, as simple as that.

Faintly, she felt a presence in the Force grow steadily closer and Vestara took in a shaky breath, willing her racing heart to slow before rising to her feet and padding over to the door. She opened it just as Ben appeared in the doorway in dark shorts and a loose brown shirt. He gave no indication that he was about to knock or anything, so he had to have expected her to feel his presence.

Through the Force and the steadily growing bond between them, she sensed Ben's lust, equal to her own, as well as his nervousness as his eyes scanned over her. At least she wasn't the only one who was nervous, that at least made her feel more comfortable.

"Hey," Ben greeted almost shyly with a smile.

She smiled in return, biting back a softly laugh at the silliness of it all. "Hey." Remembering that he was standing in the corridor, she reached out and took his hand, pulling him inside. With their luck, Luke would wake up and find Ben outside her door.

Closing the door and engaging the locks just in case, she led him to the foot of the bed and both sat down.

Tucking her legs under her, Vestara waited for Ben to say something, but he didn't, apparently waiting for her to speak first. It was beyond awkward, and she glanced all around her room.

Where had the sudden shyness come from? They'd been ready to rip each other's clothes off earlier, and she'd been nearly as nervous then, but she had not been shy.

Biting her lip gently, she looked up at Ben. He looked almost as nervous as she was.

When he gave her a small smile, she returned it and lowered her eyes to their joined hand. Turning his over in hers, she traced the small scars that adorned his palm, knuckles, and fingers. One scar in particular, a thin line extending from the center of his palm to the start of his index finger, caught her attention. He hadn't gotten it during a fight, but while he was doing some repairs on the ship, and she'd teased him for days about it. He could come out nearly unharmed from a battle but had gotten hurt by the ship he was fixing. The memory made her smile and she brought his hand to her lips and placed a kiss on the scar.

Ben cocked a brow. "That your way for apologizing for picking on me about it?"

"It's as close to an apology as you're going to get," she said and flinched at how nervous she sounded.

She was Vestara Khai. She didn't get nervous!

Catching the change in her voice, Ben cupped her cheek with his free hand. "We can wait, Ves. If you don't want to –"

"I want to!" she said and blushed at how quickly she'd interrupted him. Locking her eyes with his, willing herself not to look away, she explained, "It's just... Lady Rhea told me what to do if I even needed to use sex to get what I needed or wanted. You saw what I was willing to do the other night to try to turn you."

He nodded, smiling fractionally. "You seemed ready to jump me in my sleep, but now you only seem ready to jump out of your skin."

"Yes, well… I wasn't going to you because I wanted to, not really. I went to you with the intent to use sex to seduce you. That was how I was taught and she told me what to do, how to do it, but…" she trailed off, feeling her cheeks heat up against Ben's cool palm, embarrassed.

"But what?" he gently prodded, brushing his thumb rhythmically against her cheek.

Sighing, she looked down. "She never told me what to do if I actually wanted to be with someone, how to… love someone." It was embarrassing to admit and she only met Ben's eyes when he tipped her chin up.

She felt a shift in the Force the moment the word 'love' left her mouth, but Ben didn't jump to call her out on it. She was grateful for that, because though she loved him she didn't know if the feeling was mutual. The last thing she wanted to deal with at the moment was rejection of any kind from him.

"You seemed pretty confident earlier. What changed?"

"I don't know," she sighed, unwilling to tell him that she'd been nearly as nervous earlier during their little make-out session. "I guess I'm just nervous. I want this to go right."

"I do too, Ves. I'm in no rush. We can go as slow as you want," he assured her quietly and her heart fluttered. She didn't deserve him, not after all that she'd done.

Feeling less nervous, she turned serious and shifted a little closer. "Ben, if I ask you to stop or tell you that you're hurting me, you would stop, right?" She had to ask if only to assure herself that that part of her vision would not come to pass. She had to hear him say he would stop.

Hurt clouded his eyes and she felt bad for having to ask. "Of course I would stop. Why would you think that I wouldn't?"

"I know you would stop, I just needed to hear it," she mumbled, not willing to tell him about her vision. "It's… personal."

Taking her face gently but firmly in his strong hands, he looked her in the eye, blue meeting brown. "Vestara, if you tell me to stop at any time for any reason, or if you say that I'm hurting you, I promise you I will stop. You can trust me."

A small smile graced her face and she raised her hand to trace his lips with her fingers as she leaned closer to him, lips almost-touching. "That's all I needed to hear," she whispered.

Then her lips were on his.

In that instant, all her fears were pushed to the back of her mind and time seemed to stand still, giving them all the time in the galaxy.

Shifting her legs out from under her, she slid onto his lap, aching to be closer as they continued their slow, passionate kiss. Her heart beat rapidly against her breast and thundered in her ears. She wouldn't have been surprised if Ben heard it. A soft gasp escaped her when he nibbled at her lower lip, making her press even closer to his hard body, one hand fisting in his hair while the other grabbed a handful of his shirt.

Abruptly, he pulled away and mumbled something about too many clothes as he tugged his shirt over his head, something she completely agreed with as his muscled chest was bare to her eyes.

She was unbearably desperate to be rid of her own shirt, but before she could do anything about it, he grabbed the hem of her shirt and yanked it over her head, throwing it to the side.

Vestara couldn't help but smile in amusement, brushing her hair from her face. "You could have asked me to take it off."

"My way was quicker," he replied with a smile, eyes darkening as he looked at the last bit of clothing hiding her upper body from him.

Looking to her eyes in question, she nodded at his silent request and sighed happily as she felt his hands reach behind her, tugging at the hooks of her bra. She considered helping him but decided to let him figure out how to remove the garment on his own if only to avoid bruising his male ego. The urge to pick on him grew stronger as his fingers fumbled with the two simple hooks, muttering that it was ridiculous for such a small piece of clothing to be so difficult to remove. The wait wasn't long and before she knew it the black bra was thrown somewhere in the room.

Though she wasn't self-conscious by nature, she had to fight the urge to raise her arms and hide herself. It was the first time that anyone had seen her wearing next to nothing and she was worried that she wouldn't live up to whatever expectations he had. Surely he had thought about this just as she had. Stars knew that he was more attractive thus far that she'd expected, being fit and lean without having an overabundance of muscle, but what had he imagined her to look like if he had thought about it at all.

What if she didn't match whatever image he'd conjured up in his mind?

Watching his face intently, she searched for anything negative in the Force.

Sensing her worry, he snapped out of his trance and ran his hands slowly up her arms, making her shiver. His eyes shifted from her chest, to the scar at the corner of her mouth, coming to stop on her eyes. "Ves… you're beautiful."

Her heart fluttered. She'd been called beautiful before but never with so much honesty and emotion.

Wrapping his arm around her back, he lifted her slightly and moved her to the center of the bed. Laying her back gently, he took a moment to run his eyes over her near naked form yet again, and this time she wasn't so self-conscious about him doing so.

The intensity in his blue eyes made her blush and she bit her lip when he smoothed his hand over her toned belly up between her full breasts. Almost hesitantly, one of his large, warm, calloused hands engulfed her breast and she whimpered, the ach inside her growing more and more prominent to where she gripped the bed sheets to keep from squirming. What started out as awkward exploration of her chest soon became gentle and firm strokes as he learned what she liked through her responses, through the sounds flowing from her mouth, and the arching of her back. All the while she ran her hands over his chest, memorizing every inch and every scar she hadn't seen before.

Bringing her hand over his heart, she felt it thudding wildly beneath her hand, confirming her suspicion that he wasn't as calm as he appeared. She oh so wanted to break his compose just as he seemed to be trying to break her own.

Smiling wickedly, a sense of sudden boldness coming to her, she kept her one hand over his heart and trailed her free hand down his torso with feather-soft touches, dipping her fingers underneath the waistband of his shorts but going no farther and settled on teasing the skin there with the tips of her fingers, delighting in how his heart now felt ready to burst from his chest.

A low groan escaped him and he batted her hand from his shorts as he positioned himself over her, and she spread her legs to accommodate him more comfortably on his part, desperately on her part. But to her disappointment he kept all his weight off her hips. Her disappointment didn't last and she arched up against him when he lowered his head to nuzzle the side of her neck, his teeth grazing her skin before soothing the spot with his tongue in time with her pulse.

"Ben…" she murmured, anticipation growing when he slowly trailed his lips toward her breasts. He hesitated only a moment, looking to her for permission that she readily gave with a nod. Then his mouth was on her breast and he tormented her sensitive skin until she was moaning and whimpering, fingers tangling in his hair, keeping him where he was. His hand moved to her other breast, kneading the soft flesh before switching and giving it the same treatment as he'd given its twin.

Through the haze of pleasure, she felt Ben brushing her mind with his, searching for a crack in the shield she kept firmly in place. Not once had she let that mental shield down for anyone, fearing that she'd somehow be hurt by whoever she let get too close to her heart. But Ben was different. She trusted him, cared about him, and she hoped he cared just as much about her, but she couldn't be sure as her barrier prevented her from fully sensing his feelings.

That, she decided, had to change.

Tugging on his hair when her body screamed for her to let him continue, he lifted his head and looked in her eyes with confusion and worry. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," she assured him, lightly brushing her lips over his when he became level with her face. "You're doing everything right. But…" she trailed off.

Resting on his elbows over her, he ran his knuckles over her cheek, smoothing the hair from her face. "But what?"

"I…"

"Tell me," he pressed gently.

Taking a shaky breath, she said, "You might not like what you see – actually, I can almost guarantee that you won't like most of what you see – but I want you to know me completely, Ben."

Before Ben could ask what she was talking about, she lowered the shields she'd kept in place since she was a child.

Both their eyes widened when their minds touched for the first time. Having not expected her action in the slightest, Ben appeared almost startled, taken aback by the surge of emotions and sensations that were not his own, and in truth she was also shocked since she hadn't expected to feel so much from just lowering her shields. She knew a Force-bond was forming rapidly now that she'd torn down the wall hiding herself from him, and she did nothing to stop it.

His motionless surprise subsiding, Ben closed his eyes and lowered his forehead to hers, taking a shaky breath and letting her in while searching her mind and she let him see and feel everything, no longer afraid.

Emotions of all kinds ran through him from what she showed him; anger, sorrow, happiness, and more, but not hate. She didn't feel hate or disgust. It was the strongest form of intimacy that Vestara had so far felt even as he lay with his bare chest pressed to her own. And as she let him feel and see everything, she felt everything Ben felt for her. Desire, frustration, compassion… and love.

Tears blurred her vision and she wrapped her arms around him, pulling his full weight onto her and burying her face in her neck as the tears finally fell.

He loved her.

He didn't need to speak the words – she could feel it through the bond they'd formed.

No longer afraid that her feelings wouldn't be returned, she showed him the love she felt for him and his strong arms snaked under her and he held her tightly.

Pulling back, he lowered his lips to hers in a passionate kiss that left them both breathless as his hand ran down her side to where his thumb hooked under the hem of her panties.

Silently complying, Vestara lifted her hips so that the obstructing garment could be removed.

Sitting up, Ben pulled off his own shorts and tossed them away and for a moment they both just stared at each other, memorizing every angle, curve, scar, and freckle.

Biting her lip, Vestara's eyes lowered to the evidence and his desire for her, and she felt a twinge of fear. As inexperienced as she was, she knew the first time would not be readily pleasant.

Feeling her fear through the bond they were steadily creating, Ben lowered some of his weight onto her and gave her a soothing kiss. "I told you before, if you want me to stop just say so and I will," he reminded her.

"I'll be okay," she replied and smiled a bit. "I'm not fragile."

"Believe me, I know," he said, sifting his fingers through her dark hair and along her shoulder. "Still, just say the word and I'll stop." Even as he spoke his hand was trailing down to her thigh, touching everywhere but where she needed.

Her nails scraped over his scalp, desperately trying to keep from grabbing his hand and making him touch her. "Don't tease me," she gritted out through her teeth.

"Impatient?" he questioned with a smirk.

"Desperate. If you don't touch me, I'll…" she broke off in a gasp, eyes fluttering shut when his fingers brushed her center. Unconsciously she ground her hips against his hand and gasped for air when he timidly slipped a finger into her wet core. Reading her reaction, he slowly began to move his hand over and over until she thought she'd lose her mind, and when he curled his finger she whimpered pleadingly and dug her fingers into his arms.

Opening her eyes, she saw the smirk on his face and felt the desire to turn the tables. There was no way she was allowing him to remain in control the whole time.

Running her fingers down his chest, she boldly curled her hand around his arousal, and she succeeded in snatching the control from him if only for a moment. The young Jedi shuddered and she felt him grow more firm in her hand as she stroked him. A rush of feminine power fell over her and she grinned through her pleasure at the strained expression on Ben's handsome face, and for the first time she was very thankful for her master's lectures on the male anatomy and how to give pleasure.

The grin immediately fell from her face as he pressed his thumb to her clit and rubbed in small circles, forcing her eyes to roll back.

"Ben…" she breathed, arching her back in pleasure and releasing him. She had enough of the teasing, and she'd beg if she had to. "Need you… _please_,"

She didn't need to beg twice and Ben nodded hastily as he lowered himself onto her small body, the hard length of him pressed against her aching center.

Wrapping her toned legs around his hips, she kissed him deeply, hoping to distract herself from the coming discomfort. Her heart hammered in her chest when he positioned himself at her entrance and gripped her hip as he slowly, so slowly, slid into her. It was uncomfortable, and as she began biting her lip as the discomfort grew, Ben stopped and reached for her hand. Lacing his fingers with hers, he raised their joined hands over her head and held it tightly against the mattress. Then, with one strong thrust, he was fully sheathed inside her warm body, but the pleasure was most definitely one-sided.

The pain was instantaneous and she let out a small shriek into his shoulder, screwing her eyes shut and gripping his hand hard enough to break it while Ben murmured apologies into her hair. It was a whole new kind of pain, sharp and unfamiliar, but as quickly as it had come it was already it was fading into a dull ach. Shaking terribly above her with the effort it took to hold still, Ben didn't move, giving her as long as she needed to get comfortable.

Not wanting to torture him further, she lifted her hips, taking him in deeper and heard him groan in response and felt his body tense. "I'm okay," she assured him, kissing his lips when he raised his head to look at her.

Creating a slow, agonizing rhythm, he thrust into her time after time again, drawing whimpers of pleasure from Vestara as her free arm went around his neck, holding onto him tightly. The pain had steadily vanished from her mind completely, giving way to incredible pressure that left her begging for more. He didn't disappoint and rhythm grew faster and harder until she was writhing desperately beneath him, meeting him thrust for thrust as her nails scraped along his shoulders, making him hiss in pained pleasure. The intensity grew white-hot and she uncontrollable began tightening around him, sobbing his name while he breathed her name like a prayer.

So close, she was so close that it hurt and she cried out with each powerful thrust and it wasn't long before she fell over the edge, barely able to breathe his name through the intensity of it as he followed her, his own climax coming without warning. With one final thrust, he let himself go and held her tightly, his grip on her hand threatening to break her fingers and his lips crashing down on hers in a bruising kiss as they clung to each other, neither wanting to let go.

Only when air became an issue did Vestara press against her lover's shoulder. "You're heavy," she informed him breathlessly against his lips.

"Oh, sorry," he murmured and rolled off her, his chest heaving as he came down from his high. Still breathing heavily, he pulled her against his side after they slipped under the covers, holding her close.

For a long while, neither spoke, just enjoyed the peace of the aftermath of their lovemaking.

Eyes growing heavy, Vestara pillowed her head against Ben's sweat-slicked chest, yawning and ready to fall asleep.

"Ves?" Ben asked, sounding half asleep himself.

"Hm?"

"I love you."

The words and emotion behind them made her heart skip a beat and she smiled. "Telling a woman immediately after sex that you love them? A bit of a cliché, don't you think?" she teased, and felt his chest vibrate as he chuckled softly.

"Yeah," he admitted. "But it's true nonetheless."

She smiled wider and snuggled further into his side, getting comfortable as his arm curled around her. "Hey, Ben?"

He yawned. "Yeah?"

"I love you, too."

* * *

_**Coffee keeps me awake to write, but reviews keep me motivated to write!**_


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **_**I've been having a good few days so far so I decided to update early. There will still be an update this Friday or Saturday, and chapter 15 will be the first real new chapter and not a repost, so the wait won't be much longer for everyone to read something new in the story!  
**_

_**Oh, I've created my own planet called Fevrin. For the record, it's not a friendly planet.**_

* * *

Lost in thought, the Sith hardly felt the scalding shower water pouring down on him, turning his skin red. During the night when he'd stepped out of his cabin to get some water, he'd heard some very… pleasurable sounds coming from Vestara's cabin as he walked by.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what was goin on, and though he'd known that it was bound to happen, he didn't expect the two to go to bed together so soon after his arrival.

That changed things.

Lack of sleep didn't affect him very much and as he stepped out of the shower he searched his mind for an event that would break Ben, that would make him falter and become more susceptible to manipulation or forced compliance.

During his training, he'd come across some archives that taught one how to force a false vision into another's mind or how to alter what would truly come to pass into something dark and twisted. With that power, he could make Ben see whatever he wanted him to see and think it was a vision of the future. He'd done it once before and it had worked beautifully, Tarick remembered with a wicked smirk.

His dear master, Lady Zeryia, had fallen for the vision he'd placed in her mind that she would come across incredible wealth and power on the planet Fevrin. Zeryia's greed and hunger for power drove her to the traitorous planet where Tarick saw to her demise. He was actually surprised that it was he who killed her and not one of the many carnivorous creatures residing on the planet.

A planet plagued by a single dense jungle housing some rather carnivorous plants and tormented by constant hurricanes, the animals added to the deadly nature of the planet. And the caves were by far the most dangerous place to be. Deep underground, hidden away from the lightening and bloodthirsty plants, were the most blood thirsty creatures that Tarick had ever come across. One of those creatures had nearly killed him, leaving four long, jagged scars extending from his shoulder to hip across his chest. And they weren't the only beasts.

Running the towel over his face and getting dressed, he sat down on the edge of his bed.

It had been easy to choose what he would show Lady Zeryia, knowing that her greed was her weakness, and while he knew that Vestara was Ben's weakness he was aware that the young Jedi would not be easily broken. That, and he had to find away to turn him against the Jedi in the process. There was always the possibility that he wouldn't fall to the vision, but Tarick was only mildly worried. There was always his backup plan…

Settling into a trance-like state, he slowly formed the vision he would send to Ben, one that would test the boy's loyalty to Vestara, his father, and to the Jedi.

* * *

In deep sleep, Ben wasn't prepared for the vision that assaulted and pushed away his dreams. Thrashing about, he tried to fight off the unwanted images of betrayal, pain, and death.

_Vestara's hands were bound behind her as she screamed in agony, Force lightning striking her time after time as she writhed on the floor of some cave, screaming for him to help her. Ben tried to get to her, Force he tried, but something was holding him back. He could only watch in horror. _

"_Ben!" Vestara cried, blue-white sparks dancing across her skin. "Help me!" _

_A low chuckled came from the man attacking her. _

_Her father._

"_It's useless, my child," Gavar chided. "The boy can't help you. His father didn't even inform him that he brought you to us." Briefly, his attack stopped and he looked past the other Sith in the room to a man hidden in shadows. "Just what do you plan to tell your son?"_

_Ben's heart stopped. _

_Stepping into view was his father, Luke Skywalker._

_Coming up to stand beside the Sith, Luke regarded the girl lying on the ground. "I'll come up with something. He doesn't need to know the exact details, not right now anyways." To Vestara, he said sincerely, "I'm sorry that it came to this, but your sacrifice will bring peace."_

_Bring peace? What was his father talking about?_

"Ben…"

_His eyes darted around the cave, wondering who had called his name. It sounded like Vestara but she was on the floor crying, not talking._

"_I must say," Gavar began. "I'm surprised that you are willing to sacrifice Vestara's life, let alone ask us to help you and your Jedi overthrow Daala."_

"_I wish it hadn't come to this, but Daala has taken things to far. She must be removed from office to bring balance back to the Republic, and she must be removed dead or alive. To do so, we will need your help."_

_No… Ben couldn't believe it. His father was giving over Vestara's life to renew the alliance with the Sith in order to overthrow Daala and seize control? No, he had to be hearing and seeing wrong, his father the Grand Jedi Master would not turn on the Republic in such away. That wasn't how the Jedi were! But the set look on Luke's face and seriousness of his words indicated that that was exactly what he was going to do. And Vestara's life was going to be taken to ensure that the Sith were on his side. The Sith wanted her life for her apparent betrayal. They were going to get it._

"_No! Dad, don't!" Ben shouted to his father but the plea went unheard. _

"Ben, wake up…"

_Wake up? He was awake! _

"_Don't worry, Skywalker," Gavar assured with a smooth tone. "We will aide you in your attack. After, well, after the attack is another story. We'll just have to wait and see if our alliance holds. But until then…" he cold eyes fell on Vestara as she struggled to get away, weakened. "Until then we must deal with this traitor." Force lightning erupted from his and the other Sith's hands just as he finished the last word._

"_No!" Ben screamed, trying with all his might to get to Vestara, her screams of pain tearing at his heart. He couldn't lose her. Not like this…_

"Ben! Wake up!" The voice was clearer now and definitely Vestara's, a forceful shake following her words that roused him from his fitful sleep.

His eyes opened in shock and he lurched upright in bed, breathing heavily.

Eyes adjusting in the darkness, he realized that he hadn't been away, but sleeping. When a soft hand went to the back of his shoulder, he turned and tears of relief fell from his eyes against his will.

There, sitting up and looking at him with concern, was Vestara, safe and unharmed.

Her other hand went to his cheek, gently thumbing away the stray tears, and his own rose to hold it tightly. "Nightmare?" she asked softly.

He shook his head. That was no nightmare, it was a vision. That he knew for certain.

"What happened?" she asked, sensing the remnants of his fear and pain through their newly formed bond. Quickly, to keep her from seeing what he'd seen, he put up a barrier.

She frowned the moment he did so. "Whatever it was, it can't be that bad."

He snorted but said nothing.

"Ben, just tell me," she urged, smoothing her hand up his back. "Whatever it is, I assure you I can take it."

"… I saw betrayal," he said at last, trying his best to phrase it all without revealing too much to alarm her. "And… suffering."

"Want to elaborate?" There was no impatience or irritation in her voice, just gentle prodding. Though he'd be willing to bet that if he remained closed off that would change.

He didn't want to tell her any of it, but she had a right to know given how it had involved her. "You were being tortured by your father and the other Sith. You were bound," he said tightly, feeling his anger rising. "And…and I couldn't stop it."

He felt her shock and her fear before she pushed it away. "Do you know where I was?" she asked.

He shook his head. "A cave or something. I'm not sure."

"Do you know how my father got a hold of me?"

The words became stuck in his throat. Oh, he knew all right, and the knowledge shook him to his very core. "My father gave you to him."

For a moment, she didn't speak. Her disbelief was clear in his head and he couldn't look at her. He didn't want to believe it either, he _couldn't _believe it.

"Ben, I doubt your father would hand me over to the Sith," she said gently, surprising him. She didn't like his father, she should be accepting of the idea. "Doing something so…" she couldn't find the right word. "Doing something like that isn't in his nature."

"I know, I know," he agreed. Sighing, he shook his head. "It has to mean something else. I don't know what the vision is telling me, but there has to be more to it. I refuse to believe it. But whatever happens, I'm not going to lose you."

Looking to her, he saw the small smile on her lips. "You're not going to lose me, Ben. I'm made of tough stuff." Leaning towards him, she brought her lips to his in a soft, slow kiss. When she pulled back, she murmured, "Don't worry too much about it."

"Not worrying is better said than done," he grumbled and ran his hand through her long brown hair, reassuring himself that she was in fact safe at his side.

She winced when his fingers caught on a tangle and muttered lightheartedly, "I blame you for that, Skywalker. I think you even managed to pull a few strands out. Next time, how about you hold my hip or something rather than tangle your fingers in my hair?"

Heat rose to his cheeks even as blood rushed downward at the memory. "Sorry."

She smiled. "No, you're not, and neither am I. Besides, it's not like I didn't leave you unscathed. I think the argument could be made that I was a little rougher, actually," she said, brushing her fingers over the scratches she'd left on his back, lightening her touch when he tensed. "Hurt?"

He shook his head. "Just a little sore, that's all."

Placing a soft kiss to one scratch that looked close to having had blood drawn from it, she muttered, "Sorry."

"I'm not, and you aren't either," he replied with a smirk, turning her own words around on her.

A soft, tired laugh escaped her, followed shortly by a yawn.

The yawn brought Ben's gaze to the clock, its holographic numbers shining slowly killing the peace he'd just found from the vision. His father would be waking up soon. "I'm going to have to go back to my cabin," he said reluctantly.

Vestara laid her head on his shoulder. "I know."

Sighing, he brought his shorts to him with the Force and swung his legs off the bed, putting them on as his lover trailed his fingers over random scars on his back before tenderly touching the scratches yet again. Turning back to her, holding his shirt in his hand, he placed a kiss on her forehead then on her lips. "Go back to sleep. I'll see you soon."

"All right," she sighed, clearly unhappy that he had to go back to his cabin. When he turned to make his leave, she abruptly sat up and grabbed his free hand. "Hey… tell me again," she requested, her lips turning up in a small smile.

He didn't have to ask what he meant and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I love you," he said, his own smile tugging at his lips.

Now wearing a full smile, she kissed his hand before letting go and lying back down.

Out of her cabin, Ben went to the galley to get a much needed glass of water, his fingers flexing around the shirt he held. He did worry about that vision, even after Vestara told him not to. It was too horrible for him not to worry. Her screams of pain were still fresh in his mind along with his father's conversation with Gavar.

He'd looked forward to being alone with his thoughts, and was thus instantly disappointed when he entered the galley and found Tarick sitting at the table with a piece of fruit. Could the morning get any worse?

Taking notice of him, decked out in his sleep attire of black pants and a grey shirt, Tarick gave him a nod. "Good morning, Skywalker."

Ignoring the Sith, Ben went to get a glass and filled it with water.

"You may want to throw on your shirt, unless you want your father to see those scratches on you back," Tarick commented around a mouthful of fruit.

Ben froze, having not even thought about attempting to hide the scratches Vestara had left during their lovemaking even after the two had just talked about them.

Looking back at Tarick, he swallowed. Unless the Sith was an utter idiot, he knew what had transpired.

"Thanks," Ben muttered carefully, not bothering to ask him not to say anything as he put his shirt on. If Tarick truly wanted to tell Luke, nothing Ben said would stop him.

Turning his attention back to clearing his mind, he took a long drink of water. It soothed his throat, which felt raw as if he'd been screaming, but did little to help clear his head.

"You appear to be distressed," Tarick commented and Ben ignored him, not about to have a heart to heart with the Sith. But in the back of his find, he felt worry and mild fear radiating from the Sith. "Did you have the vision too?" Tarick asked hesitantly when Ben continued to ignore him.

At that, Ben did turn to face him with poorly concealed shock.

Tarick had had the vision as well? How was that possible?

Wanting to be sure that he wasn't being played before he revealed anything, he questioned, "You had a vision? What about?"

Looking a little shaken, Tarick leaned forward on his elbows against the table. "Vestara was being tortured by her poor excuse of a father. Your father was there as well. The great Grand Jedi Master Skywalker had turned her over to them to form –"

"An alliance," Ben finished for him.

Looking to him, swallowing, Tarick nodded.

"Yes," Ben admitted. "I had the same vision."

Both were silent before the Sith rose to his feet. "It does not have to come to pass, Skywalker. You can save Vestara, but you will need my help. All I ask is that you allow me to help you."

Despite his better judgment, Ben asked, "How?"

"Join me, let me teach you the ways of the Dark Side, and together we can stop your father from giving Vestara to the Sith, can stop the Jedi and Sith from destroying the Republic," Tarick declared. "We can bring peace to the galaxy, create a new order, and you could be with Vestara without a single worry. We will end war and corruption. The universe will at last be at peace!"

Ben could only stare at him.

Was he serious?

The thought of joining him and saving Vestara, no matter how tempting, was not something he was willing to do. He wouldn't go down that path again. "No," he said, shaking his head. "No, there has to be another way to save Vestara. And I don't believe my father would do something like that. It's not the Jedi way."

"The _Jedi way_," Tarick spat with disgust. "The Jedi way, the Sith way, both are corrupt and in need of cleansing. You saw it yourself. The Jedi have changed and will turn on the Republic. The Sith, too, have changed and become weak, willing to work with Jedi. Neither Order deserves to be allowed to control."

Shaking his head again, forcing himself to refuse the offer of help in saving Vestara, he said, "No… the Jedi Order would not allow Vestara to be tortured and killed in cold blood. My father would not allow it. We saw wrong. Perhaps the vision we both saw meant something else –"

"It meant exactly what we saw!" Tarick insisted angrily. "Are you so blinded by the Jedi ways that you would risk Vestara's life?" he demanded.

Glaring at him, Ben fought hard to keep a hold of his self-control. He couldn't give in to his anger, no matter how much he reluctantly wanted to side with Tarick, his love for Vestara so strong. "I don't want to risk her life, but I refuse to turn to the Dark Side. I'll find some other way."

Brown-black eyes glared at him. "You are a fool, Skywalker," Tarick hissed. "Fine, you risk the girl's life all you want. When you come to your senses, come find me."

As soon as the Sith exited the galley, Ben let go of some of his anger and punched the wall hard enough to bloody his knuckles. Hissing in pain, he washed the blood from his hand.

Why was every krifing Sith so hell bent on turning him to the Dark Side?

Bracing himself against the sink, he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, trying to calm his raging thoughts. More than ever, he wished his mother were with him, needing to talk to her and ask for her advice on how to handle the situation. Clamping down on the fresh wave of sadness, he wrapped his hand in a towel before finishing the glass of water and making his way back to his cabin.

Nearing the door, he slowed to a stop. Then he turned around and went back to Vestara's. Opening the door, he slipped inside quietly and saw her sleeping soundly on her side, the sheets ending at her hips but her arm over her breasts keeping her modest. Without a word, he removed his shirt and got in bed, pulling the sheets over him and covering her more with them while his arm went around her, pressing her back against his chest.

Shifting in her sleep, Vestara murmured in question, "Thought you were going to your cabin."

"I was," he replied softly. "I don't care about getting caught. You're worth the risk."

He could practically feel her smile and she shifted her naked body closer to him. "Love you," she said, sleep lacing her voice.

"You too." Ben kissed her bare shoulder before sighing and getting comfortable with her in his arms as sleep slowly took him again.

* * *

Enraged, the Sith picked up the glass that had been in his cabin and threw it against the wall, shattering it into hundreds of pieces. He had been so sure that Ben's love for Vestara and need to protect her would see to his turn to the Dark Side. Tarick had put great detail into the vision and though Ben clearly believed it to be real and was shaken up by it, he wasn't going to turn. There had been reluctance in his refusal, but he still refused. It was becoming more and more clear that Tarick would have no choice but to resort to his back up plan. He'd hoped to avoid taking that kind of action, but it seemed as though Ben would have to be forcefully turned.

Still seeing red, he went to one of his bags and dug around almost frantically until he found what he was looking for, pulling out a small case. Inside laid a single syringe.

Not all of the inhabitants of the planet Kesh had seen the Sith as gods when they crashed so long ago. In order to subdue those who apposed them, the Sith infected them with the Dark Side using their blood. Once mere myth, it was said that the Dark Side ran through a Sith's blood like a venom, capable of poisoning anyone who became infected with it. Thus, the Sith had filled poison darts with their own blood and shot the apposing Keshiri. The myth turned out to be true and the Dark Side flooded the veins of the Keshiri, becoming Dark servants of whoever's blood infected them, before dissolving into myth again when it's uses eventually became unneeded.

But there were side effects.

Some of the Keshiri went insane within weeks of being infected while others were killed by the effect the Dark venom had on their system, not to mention they all needed regular injections if they were to remain under control, and the amount of blood Tarick would have to draw from his body would gradually weaken him. But it was the side effects on Ben's end that left him reluctant to resort to such measures. It would do him no good if the boy died or went insane, and he had little use of an enslaved pawn. He needed a loyal apprentice, as simple as that, but there was little left that he could do to convince Ben to join him. Force was necessary in this case, and he only hoped that he'd eventually be able to convince Ben to see things his way so he would not have to continuously inject him with his blood.

Getting dressed, he plucked the syringe from it's case and placed it in the pocket of his robe.

Soon, he would have his apprentice, one way or another.

* * *

_**Coffee keeps me awake to write, but reviews keep me motivated to write!**_


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **_**When I originally posted this chapter, I recall a few people saying in reviews that Luke was a little too out of character in this chapter. Not terribly so, but enough to mention. I've done my best to fix a few things this time around, but I could only change so much without editing the entire chapter.**_

_**And in light of my new work schedule, updates will now be made on Sundays or Mondays.**_

_**Also, I highly recommend that you all check out Onimiman's Vestara fic **_**"Plinkett's Poppers"**_**. It's humor/sci-fi, and very entertaining. Anyone who reads it should enjoy it :)**_

* * *

Something was off.

As Luke rose from his bed and dressed, he had the distinct feeling that something on board the _Jade Shadow _had changed. It wasn't negative or life threatening, but it was different and vaguely familiar. Put on edge, he opted against meditating and having breakfast at the moment and instead made his way to his son's cabin. Even as he neared, he sensed that Ben was not in there. Stopping at the door, he sighed and wondered where he'd gone. His son wasn't known for waking up this early unless he had to. In the back of his mind, he slowly realized that he may in fact still be asleep, but in a different cabin… He immediately turned and stormed towards Vestara's room, hoping he was wrong. His gut, however, told him otherwise.

Rounding the corner, he nearly ran into Tarick.

The Sith gave a slight bow in apology. "Forgive me, Master Skywalker. I did not notice that you were there." Adjusting his black robe, he added, "I am heading back to my fighter. I forgot something of mine and wish to retrieve it."

It was still unnerving to hear such politeness from a Sith. Giving the young man a nod, they both went their separate ways. Tarick to his fighter, and Luke to Vestara's cabin.

Coming up on the door of the cabin, there was no mistaking his son's presence inside.

Gritting his teeth to keep from doing anything rash, he opened the door and was both unprepared but unsurprised by the sight before him.

Both Ben and Vestara were dead asleep, the girl's back against Ben's chest and his arm draped limply over her. Luke was grateful for the sheets, noticing the girl's bare shoulder. It didn't appear that she was wearing anything and he was unsure if Ben was either.

Luke had been afraid that this would happen.

He'd seen the signs of the two growing closer, seen the obvious attraction between them, and he'd done little more than advise his son that it was not a wise idea to pursue the girl.

Clearly, his warnings had fallen on deaf ears.

Stirring in his sleep, a frown coming to his face, Ben stretched and rubbed his eyes, yawning. Then he froze and turned his eyes to the door, and the color drained from his face. "Dad…"

Sensing Ben's distress, Vestara slowly woke up. "Ben? What's wrong?" She followed his line of sight and grasped the sheets with wide eyes, making sure she was properly hidden from Luke's view.

Fighting hard to keep his anger and disappointment that only a parent could feel under control, Luke looked directly at his son. "My cabin. _Now_," he ordered, and then looked at Vestara and said tightly, "Get some clothes on."

Turning on his heel, he left Ben and Vestara to get dressed.

Nearing his cabin, he heard Vestara's door open and turned to find Ben in a pair of shorts, heading to his room as he pulled his shirt over his head. Just barely, he noticed the scratches on his son's back and ground his teeth. Any hope that he was wrong in his assumptions faded.

Catching his father's stare and reading his expression, Ben's face flushed red and he silently continued to his cabin, muttering that he was going to get dressed.

Luke didn't say anything and went inside his own cabin.

Running his hand over his face, he calmed himself. He didn't want to lash out at Ben in anger. He wanted to have a calm discussion with him, to explain why he and Vestara couldn't be together. As much as he wanted his son to be happy, their relationship couldn't be. Ben was a Jedi, and Vestara was a Sith. That was how it would always be, no matter how the two hoped for otherwise. Yes, he held faint hope that Ben could turn the girl to the Light, but it was too unlikely for him to hold a lot of faith in the matter. He had to admit that Vestara wasn't the worst Sith he'd come across and he'd taken a small fatherly liking to her after she came to him for guidance, but it was too much to hope for that she would turn to the Light in the near future.

Minutes later, Ben walked into the cabin wearing dark brown pants, his boots, and an undershirt while he held his outer tunic tightly in his hands. His face was emotionless and calm, but Luke sensed his son was as nervous as a nexu in a rain storm and he suspected that he held onto his outer tunic so tightly to keep from fidgeting.

He had every right to be nervous.

Sighing, Luke shook his head at his boy. "I'm disappointed in you, Ben."

Ben nodded, swallowing. "I know," he said quietly. "And I'm sorry that you had to find out this way."

"How long have you two been in a relationship?" Luke questioned.

Shrugging, he replied, "We've loved each other for a while, but we didn't actually form a relationship until last night. If you can call it a relationship. I love her and she loves me, but we haven't discussed being in a relationship, though it's what I want."

Luke wished he hadn't said that Ben loved Vestara, because his next words were going to break Ben's heart.

"You can't be with Vestara, Ben," he said firmly and Ben looked like he'd been kicked in the gut. "At least not until we can ensure that her loyalty is to us. The risk is too great."

Blue eyes widening in disbelief, he just stared at him for a long moment. "Her loyalty?... Dad, I know she's a wild card, but what does that have to do with us being together or not?"

Taking a calming breath, he explained. "She's a Sith, Ben. I know you care for her, but you must remember that she has been trying to turn you to the Dark Side ever since she arrived. Who's to say that she isn't still trying to turn you? Have you even considered that possibility?" Ben opened his mouth to say something, but Luke held up his hand to stop him. "I know you love her, and I wish that I could tell you that I approve, I truly wish I could, but I cannot allow you two to continue this at this point in time."

"Are you serious?"

"Very," Luke confirmed. "Ben, look at this from my point of view, from a Jedi's point of view. She's a Sith and she is dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt because you are following your emotions too closely."

"_You _are saying I can't be with her because she's a Sith?" Ben gaped. "Mom was the Emperor's damn Hand! You and she were complete opposites and practically and on different sides for the longest time but you still married her!"

"It's not the same, Ben." Even as he said it his heart ached at the memory of Mara, both of the good times and the bad.

Mara had at one point wanted nothing more than to kill him for apparently ruining her life. She'd been one of the people closest to Palpatine. And yet, after time, they'd come to love each other and he'd asked her to marry him when both thought they might very well die.

In a way, he reluctantly admitted to himself, the situation Ben and Vestara were in was somewhat similar to what Luke and Mara had to go through. But Mara had never actually been a Sith. Vestara was born and raised as one. That made all the difference.

"Like hell it isn't the same!" Ben snapped angrily, throwing his outer tunic onto the dresser. Clenching his fists at his sides, he went on. "Believe it or not, Vestara has the potential to change. We talked about it and she stated that she doesn't want to be a Jedi, but she doesn't want to be a Sith either. She's lost, Dad, lost and confused. But her feelings for me are real, Dad! You can't keep us from being together," he declared with set determination.

Luke closed his eyes and went to his desk, clamping down on his anger. Sometimes he wished his son wasn't so much like Mara in the terms of determination and stubbornness. They were good traits under the right circumstances, but now wasn't one of those times.

"I'm sorry, Ben," he said quietly. "But this is the way it has to be until we can be certain of her loyalty, and it is hardly the time for such a relationship when the threat of the Sith and Abeloth is so very real."

Ben's shook his head and Luke felt the sadness in his son's heart. "Dad, you don't get it," Ben sighed, leaning back against the dresser. "Vestara and I _can't _be apart, no matter how far we are from each other."

There was something in Ben's tone that made the Grand Master Jedi pause. "What do you mean, can't?"

Nervousness shining through his anger, the young Jedi confessed, "Ves and I created a Force-bond last night."

Luke's eyes snapped to him in disbelief.

"Vestara always kept a Force shield in place, keeping her mind away from me," he explained carefully before Luke could say anything. "She's been opening up to me over time, and I've been opening up to her. Last night while we were…" red came to his fair skin and he quickly stopped himself from finishing that sentence, much to Luke's relief. "Last night she lowered her shields completely and our minds touched. It was like we became one mind. I saw all her feelings, what she's gone through with the Sith, and her love for me. And I showed her everything about me. We have an understanding for each other that… Force, I don't even know how to explain it. You can separate us on either side of the galaxy and we will still, in a way, be together."

Words refusing to come from him, Luke braced his hands on the desk and thought over what Ben just told him.

A Force-bond was something strong and meaningful. The one he'd shared with Mara certainly was. It powerful and let them understand each other in a way most couples could only dream of. For Ben and Vestara to have created such a bond… Luke's heart broke for his son. They could be separated physically, but mentally the Force would hold them together. The obstacles in their way would lead them down a miserable path because of the Jedi and Sith differences.

"A bond like that is nearly impossible to break," Luke began when he found his voice, forcing himself to say the words. "But until such a time comes where it is safe for you two to be in a relationship, you will both have to close yourselves off to each other."

"No," Ben declared, shaking his head, and the young Jedi's anger nearly reached its boiling point. "No, you can't ask me to do that, for _her_ to do that when it was so hard for her to simply open up to me! I…" he stopped abruptly before the sentence could actually be formed.

As quickly as his anger had come, it started slipping away and a distant look came to his eyes as though he were listening to something only he could hear. Sighing, he looked back to the door just as Vestara, fully clothed in a black tunic, walked in without knocking or asking for permission, going straight to Ben's side.

Eying the source of the problem, Luke said as politely as he could, "Vestara, please leave. This doesn't concern you."

"Actually, it does," she replied, taking Ben's hand in a protective and supportive manner. "I could sense Ben's turmoil, and it doesn't take a bond to know what's causing it. This couldn't concern me more."

Despite his disappointment of the situation and frustration, Luke was touched by Vestara's display of affection. She'd come to support Ben, that much was clear.

"Were things different, I would allow you two to have a relationship, but you must both understand that unless one of you chooses a side, you can't fully be together. It's impossible. I'm not merely saying that as a father, but as a Jedi. No matter how hard you try to make it work, being on opposing sides will bring one or both of you pain."

Vestara looked up at Ben, and he down at her. The love and pain in her eyes was impossible to hide, as was the love and pain in Ben's own. It was becoming quite obvious that they loved each other, but neither was ready to switch sides for the other.

That was the main problem, and were that not an issue, Luke would be more accepting of their relationship.

"We'll figure something out," Ben said quietly, looking away from Vestara to his father.

The conversation was going nowhere and Luke was growing weary of it all. They had things to be done and arguing back and forth would do none of them any good. "We'll discuss this more later," he sighed. "Both of you go get something to eat. And one of you needs to go out and get some items for the engine. I found a few more problems."

"I'll go," Ben said, relieved that the conversation was over for now. Vestara, however, did not look so relieved when Ben didn't say she would go. He gave her a small smile and her lips thinned in response but she didn't say anything. Pulling her gently by the hand, retrieving his outer tunic, Ben led her out of the room.

Collapsing into a sitting position on the floor, Luke put his head in his hands for a moment then settled into a comfortable position to meditate. With his chaotic thoughts, it was going to be hard to calm himself enough to do so.

* * *

"So, why don't you want me to go with you to get supplies?" the Sith girl questioned as they ate, deciding against invading his head to find out.

"I want you to help out my Dad," Ben explained. "Maybe if you two get to know each other better he'll be more accepting of us being in a relationship."

She gave an unladylike snort. "I've been on this ship for quite a while now. If he hasn't gotten to know me by now, he never will."

He shook his head. "Not necessarily. The only time you two talk to each other is when discussing Abeloth or the other Sith. You don't actually talk just to talk."

"There's not much for us to talk about that has nothing to do with the Sith or Abeloth," she stated stubbornly, but could see the truth in his words. They'd already had a decent conversation when she'd gone to the Grand Master Jedi for guidance. After thinking about it, she decided that she would _try _to play nice. With that settled, she poked at her food and asked, "So, we're in a relationship now?"

Nervousness and worry traveled to her and she turned her eyes to her lover.

"I'd like us to be," he admitted. "Do you want a relationship?"

"Yes," she replied but hesitated. "But you have to admit that it's going to be hard while we're on apposing sides."

"Don't try to turn me to the Dark Side, Ves," Ben groaned. "It's too early."

She couldn't help but smile. "I wasn't going to. I'm just saying it'll be hard."

"It will," he agreed reluctantly but the determination to see things through was still there. "But we can make it work."

His determination was infectious and made her feel more confident. "Just promise me that we'll always be together," she murmured quietly, showing a more vulnerably side and letting him see her fear of being taken away from him. Now that she had him, she didn't want to let him go.

Rising to his feet, forgetting his food, he came around the table and knelt beside her. "I'll never leave you, I promise," he told her and cupped her face, pulling her in for a deep kiss. All too soon, it ended and she let her forehead rest against his. She was never so vulnerable in front of anyone. Except when she was around Ben. He was her other half. She didn't want to be without him. And if that meant playing nice with Luke Skywalker, she would suck it up and try to get on his good side.

* * *

After cleaning up the galley, Ben went gathered up some credits and went to get the list of supplies from his father, wanting to get the shopping over with. Coming to his cabin, he knocked on the door.

"Come in," came his father's reply.

Stepping into the room, Ben said, "I'm going to head out and need the list."

"It's on the desk," Luke replied, eyes still shut in what looked like a tense meditation.

Walking to the desk, he took the data pad that was laying there and quickly left the room. He hated being so distant with his father but he didn't exactly want to talk to him, still angry and hurt by his earlier words, and still unnerved by his vision. He didn't want to believe that Luke would turn over Vestara, but when he said that they couldn't be together he began to feel some doubt. Maybe there was _some _truth to it. Shaking the thought from his mind, he took his leave and exited the _Jade Shadow_.

Picking his way through the crowded streets, he glanced down at the data pad in his hand and frowned. The supplies needed were for problems that hadn't existed when he was working on the ion engine.

Did he miss something? It was highly unlikely given that he was good with machines and knew that he hadn't. Something must have gone wrong with the thing after he'd turned repairs back over to his father.

Grumbling under his breath, he went searching for the items for the new problems, unaware that he was being followed.

* * *

A short while after Ben left and Luke came out of meditation, Vestara wander to the ion engine that was causing problems, intent on following through with her silent promise to try to get to know Luke as a person.

Finding him working on the engine, she walked over and asked somewhat reluctantly, "Need a hand?"

Glancing over his shoulder with mild surprise, he hesitated before nodding. "Keep this part in place while I bolt it in."

Doing as she was told, she stayed silent while he worked, handing him tools when he asked for them and holding different items in place while he worked on them in an uncomfortable silence.

Chewing on her lip, she broke the silence after a few minutes and asked, "What was Mara like?"

Luke visibly tensed, pausing briefly in his work. "Why do you ask?" he questioned.

She shrugged. "Ben talks about her sometimes but never really tells me much. I never understood why until we formed the bond. I touched one of his memories of her and felt sadness surrounding it. I didn't want to invade his privacy so I didn't dig around." Wiping some grease off on a rag, she added, "I was just curious about what she was like."

Debating over whether or not to reply, Luke continued to work on the engine. After a moment, he said, "She was a very complex woman, very proud. Out of everyone, I knew that I could trust her to be calm and collect in even the most dangerous of situations." Losing himself in a memory, he rested his arms on his knees. "And she was compassionate."

"She sounds like a wonderful person," said Vestara though Luke hadn't much about her. But the love in his eyes told her that Mara must have been an amazing woman. "I wish I could have met her."

Luke looked at her thoughtfully. "To be honest," he began grudgingly. "I think she would have liked you."

Hearing that meant a lot to her. And it surprised her. "You think so?"

He nodded. "Perhaps not at first, but she would have grown to like you."

"But you still don't like me," she stated matter-of-factly.

"I don't trust you," he corrected. "You're not a horrible person and are actually pleasant to be around at times, but it's the fact that you are still a Sith and have betrayed us on more than one occasion that worries me."

There was no point in insisting that she could be trusted. He had every right not to trust her, even though Ben had made it clear that he trusted her. She had no intention of betraying them, at least not Ben, knowing it would break his heart. While she was still confused about whether or not she truly wanted to leave her Sith life behind and become a Jedi, she knew that she wanted to be with Ben. The issues was, however, that being with him would be made easier with the approval of his father.

"Ben told me that you didn't want to be a Jedi but also didn't want to be a Sith," Luke said, snapping her from her thoughts.

Feeling self-conscious, she looked down at the rag in her hands. "I'm not sure what I want anymore. I mean, I want Ben, but as for the Sith and the Jedi… I just don't know. I can't just pretend that I wasn't a Sith and be a Jedi."

"No one would ask you to do so," Luke commented. "Did you know that Mara was the Emperor's Hand, trained by Palpatine himself?"

She was shocked and shook her head. Ben's mother had worked for a Sith?

"For a long while she wanted nothing more than to kill me," he went on. "But she changed and we eventually married. She never pretended she wasn't once the Emperor's Hand and was able to move on and take control of her life, becoming a Jedi." Looking at her intently, he added, "Ben wants you to become a Jedi as well."

She sighed, fingering the blue crystal that hung around her neck. "Yeah, I know."

Hearing that Mara hadn't always been, for lack of a better word, good, Vestara's choices became a little clearer. But if she did decide to turn to the Light, would she be able to accept her dark past as Mara had and move on?

…

It figured that most of the supplies were heavy.

After a while, Ben's arm began to ache and he resorted to using the Force to lift some of the heavier items. If he'd known that some of the things would be so big and heavy he would have considered bringing Vestara along with him. But she needed to spend some time with his dad. In the back of his mind, he sensed her feeling more comfortable around Luke than she had a while ago and felt some relief. At least they weren't trying to kill each other.

Finding the last part on the list, arguing with the shop owner for a good five minutes before the price was lowered to something more reasonable, he was ready to head back to the _Jade Shadow_ and dump everything at the ion engine.

Halfway back to the ship, his danger sense flared red hot a second before he was pushed into a deserted alley by the Force. His back hit the far wall with a loud thud but he recovered and activated his lightsaber just as his attacker's red blade crashed down on his blue one.

It was Tarick, and it came as no surprise to Ben.

The Sith had finally shed his mask of politeness and good nature and struck with brute force that left Ben continuously backing up and drawing on the Force just to defend himself. Strong in the Force, Ben was fully capable of holding his own, but the Sith before him was relentless and seemed more intent on weakening him than killing him, on tiring him out than maiming him.

Having had little sleep the night prior, Ben wasn't at his best and with Tarick seemingly content to take his time and wear him down, he knew he was in trouble.

More focused on blocking a particularly strong attack from the red lightsaber, the young Jedi failed to block Tarick's fist, unprepared for the move.

Hard knuckles connecting with his jaw, Ben staggered back and made himself vulnerable for a split second, dazed by the blow. That was all the time Tarick needed and Ben suddenly felt the air leave his lungs and invisible fingers wrapped around his throat. Caught in a Force choke, he tried to calm himself and extended a hand, calling upon the Force to push the Sith away and knock him off balance.

Before he could, however, Tarick unleashed a burst of Sith lightning on him and his body erupted in pain, a choked cry escaping his lips in more of a gasp. The combination of pain and lack of air put him at the brink of unconsciousness, and just as the edges of his vision started going black, Tarick let him go and he could breathe again as he collapsed.

Coughing, taking in gulps of precious oxygen, Ben fought against the pain and fatigue and struggled to his knees when a boot connected with his side. The air he'd just taken in left his lungs and he rolled to his back, gritting his teeth against the pain that flared in his side.

_Ves_, he called out in the Force, reaching out to her, calling to her for help.

"I must say," Tarick began with deceitful smoothness. "I'm rather disappointed. I thought I would have to fight you longer before I wore you down. But I suppose the intense pain of the lightning and being unable to breath would weaken anyone quite significantly, even the son of the great Luke Skywalker. And you did have a rather… sleepless night if those scratches on your back were an indication to the fact." He made it sound like he was talking about the weather as opposed to their duel.

When Ben tried to get up again, he was met with a solid kick to the chest that sent him backwards to the ground.

Keeping his foot firmly planted in the center of Ben's chest and calling the Jedi's lightsaber to him, attaching it to his belt, Tarick scolded him. "No, no, not so fast."

Forcing his eyes open, vision swimming, he saw Tarick remove something from his robe and roll up his sleeve. Only when he saw the Sith stick the needle in his arm did he realize that it was a syringe being filled with his blood.

A dark pit settled in his gut.

"What are you doing?" Ben demanded, voice hoarse as he struggled against the boot pressing hard against his chest.

"Ensuring your loyalty," Tarick said matter-of-factly, examining the blood in the syringe. "When my people crashed on Kesh, they discovered that their blood – their Sith blood – acted as a sort of venom and was capable of infecting other with the midi-chlorians shrouded in the Dark Side. It's fascinating, really, the science behind it, but I will not bore you with the details, my friend." Dropping to his knees beside him, shifting to place one knee on Ben's chest when he began struggling to get up, he rolled up the boy's sleeve and searched for a vein. "I'd wanted to turn you the old fashioned way as there can be so many troubling complications, but I'm afraid you've left me no choice."

The needle slid into the vein of his right arm and for a moment, Ben only felt the pain of the beating he'd just taken.

Then the fire came.

His arm was burning and when Tarick stood and stepped away he got to his knees, clutching his arm to his chest, eyes shut tight. The pain didn't stop at his arm, but rather it continued to his chest and heart and throughout the rest of his body.

The pain was unbearable, and his mind screamed that this was not possible! Belonging to the Light Side or the Dark was a choice, plain and simple. Everything about this was wrong, but even the blood that wasn't his rushed through his veins like acid he found reality contradicting what he thought he knew.

Cringing and shouting out in agony, he forced his eyes open and looked down at his arm as he began to hyperventilate, panicked by what he saw.

Veins were tinted black, the foreign blood spreading through his system and infecting every cell in his body.

This wasn't happening!

Desperately, he fought against the pain and the blood attacking him, but quickly he felt himself losing the war.

_Ves! _He cried out in his mind and felt Vestara's panic and fear caused by the desperation he was feeling and the pain.

His heart hammered wildly in his chest, blocking out all other sounds. He tried to fight, tried to keep the Dark at bay but he felt the Light leaving him, taking with it everything he held close, twisting his heart into something evil, something he didn't recognize. Letting out one final wail of agony, he fell silent, collapsing on the ground.

Breathing heavily through his teeth, forcing back the pain, he looked up at Tarick with bloodshot yellow eyes.

* * *

_**Coffee keeps me awake to write, but reviews keep me motivated to write!**_

**A/N: _The whole infecting with Sith blood thing was of some debate when I originally posted this fic due to the notion of following the Light or Dark being a choice, so I'm going to make sure that I describe the background/science for it so that it makes more sense and is more "realistic" in the following chapters. _**


	12. Chapter 12

The second Vestara felt Ben's distress she was running off the _Jade Shadow _and pushing her way through the crowded streets of Haven Port. Fear and pain washed over her like a wave emitted for Ben and that made her panic. And Force help her she could feel his pain and she had to fight back a wince of her own when she felt a strong pressure on her chest.

Luke was hot on her heels, having sensed a strong disturbance in the Force that surrounded his son.

Coming up on an intersection, she looked around frantically, reaching out to Ben in response to his calls.

His Force signature was growing faint and she finally had to come to a stop and put all her concentration into trying to feel Ben. Despite their bond, she was losing him, and then he was gone from her mind all together.

Stopping in the middle of the street, panicked, she put her hand over her mouth, eyes searching each face in the crowd, trying to sense him, find him.

Sensing rather than seeing Luke come up beside her, she murmured in distress, "I can't feel him. I… I can't feel him."

"Neither can I," Luke said, looking around. It was unnerving that the great Luke Skywalker couldn't feel his son's Force signature. "He's using the Force to disappear," he added after a moment, both perplexed and utterly concerned. "It was something he learned while he was Jacen's apprentice." He then turned his eyes to Vestara. "What was the last thing you saw in your mind before you lost him?" he questioned, voice calm, but she saw through the mask and knew that he was just as panicked and worried as she was.

"I don't know, I wasn't paying attention. I was just trying to follow his Force signature and..." A wave of curse words fell from her lips and she kicked a nearby trashcan, angry at herself and afraid for Ben. "I should have paid attention!"

Coming up and taking her by the shoulders, Luke said calmly, firmly, "You're letting your anger and fear control your thoughts. Those kind of emotions won't help you find him. Relax, reach out with the Force and try to remember what you felt, what you saw in your mind."

Gritting her teeth, Vestara closed her eyes and took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. Gradually, her raging thoughts calmed and she began to see things clearer. Once she was sure most of her anger and fear was pushed away enough, she stretched out with the Force, bringing back the images and feelings she felt coming from Ben. It was disconcerting, trying to see and feel what he'd seen and felt at the time of his distress. When they were intimate, it had been different, easy and natural because they were both so open to each other. Now, it was chaotic and she felt like she was having to force herself into his mind just to recall what had happened.

"I see," she began, voice just a whisper. "An alley, maybe."

"Do you sense any distinguishing features?"

She shook her head. "No… wait." Taking a deep breath, breathing in the scent in her mind, she said, "It's near a restaurant. I smell food and garbage." Furrowing her brow, she tried to put a face to Ben's attacker. Picking through the chaos, everything turned blue-white and she knew immediately that it was Dark Side lightning, sudden pain making her flinch. She didn't need to see or feel anymore. She knew who the attacker was. "Tarick," she said, snapping her eyes open and looking up at Luke. "Tarick attacked Ben."

Cursing under his breath, Luke shook his head. "I shouldn't have let him stay on the ship."

"We both screwed up. That vision I had…" She should have tried harder to get to the bottom of what Tarick was up to.

Taking control of the situation, the Grand Master Jedi pointed to the left of the intersection. "Let's split up. You take the left, I'll go right." Pulling a comlink from his belt, he tossed it to her. "Contact me immediately if you find anything."

Giving him a curt nod, she went down the street, looking for a familiar face. It seemed as though everyone had decided to flood the streets and they slowed her down, blocking her view of alleys to the point that she had to jump everyone now and then to see over their heads. This was bad. This was really bad. She didn't know much about Force-bonds, but she was fairly certain that she should be able to feel Ben. For their bond to just fall silent… Determined, she pushed people of various species out of her way, ignoring their rude comments as she passed.

From the pain she'd felt coming from Ben, she took a guess that Tarick had beaten him a good bit. How the Sith could have overpowered him was beyond her, but Tarick was smart and a powerful Sith who knew just how to ware someone down. But why would Ben make himself disappear in the Force? That bothered her more than anything. It was possible that he was trying to protect her and his father, but surely he knew that they could handle themselves. There had to be another reason for his hiding.

Passing a few restaurants, she stopped dead in the street, a mouthwatering smell coming from inside before turning rancid as it mixed with the garbage out in the alley next to it. It was the same smell. Coming to an alley encased in darkness, she stretched out with the Force and sensed the Dark Side hiding within the shadows and knew it was the place.

Reaching for her comlink, taking a few steps towards the darkened entrance of the alley, she pressed the button and raised it to her lips to speak with Luke.

Before she could utter a word, an arm shot out of the alley and hauled her into the shadows, a hand clamping over her mouth.

"It's me," a familiar voice whispered in her ear and she stopped struggling.

Prying the hand off her mouth and placing the comlink in her pocket, she turned and wrapped her arms around Ben's torso, relief flooding her system. He was all right. He was safe. But something was wrong.

"Are you all right?" she questioned, looking up at him and squinting her eyes, trying to adjust them to the darkness.

"Yes, I'm fine," he assured her smoothly, sifting his fingers through her hair in a soothing manner that wasn't at all as soothing as it should have been.

"Then why are you still hiding yourself from me?"

He didn't answer right away and seemed to take a second to think about it. "I don't know. I've made myself disappear in the Force for my own protection, but I'm uncertain as to why our bond has faded," he said, sounding confused but unconcerned.

Frowning, she said, "I'm no expert on Force-bonds but I doubt they can just disappear like that."

"I'm sure it will come back, Vestara," he replied and took her hand, heading deeper down the alley. "For now, we must get to the landing platform. Tarick is waiting for us."

Stopping abruptly, she looked at Ben with wide eyes, completely confused. "Tarick? Ben, I felt the pain you were feeling. Tarick attacked you! Whywould he be waiting for us?" she demanded.

"Don't worry, everything will be all right," he said calmly and gave her hand a tug.

Pulling her hand out of his, she shook her head. "No, I'm not going anywhere until you explain to me why we are going to Tarick."

Sighing in frustration, Ben took her shoulders in his hands. "He's right, Vestara. He's right about everything. I see that now. The Jedi and the Sith… they're corrupt, weak, and need to be cleansed."

"…What?" she murmured, voice hardly a whisper.

"The Jedi are going to turn on the Republic, against Daala. It's clear that the Jedi can no longer be trusted to protect the Republic. As for the Sith… Tarick said that they too must be wiped out because they have grown weak and soft. Killing the Sith is fine with me of course, as for the Jedi," he paused briefly, then took on a tone that chilled Vestara to the bone. "Destroying them is necessary. In time, I'll get over their death."

Her thoughts were raging, clashing with each other. This wasn't Ben. Ben wasn't like this and wouldn't turn on the Jedi. He was a good man. One thought pushed its way to the front of the line and she swallowed before asking, "What about your father?"

Force-bond or not, she felt sorrow and anger radiating off him. "I don't know. I don't want him to have to share the same fate as the rest of the Jedi. But from what I saw in my vision, what he was willing to let happen to you." His hands tightened on her shoulders. "I won't lose you, Vestara. I won't let my father turn you over to the Sith."

She stared at him. That was all she could do. Words failed to come to her as she struggled to think.

How could he even consider the mere thought that Luke would have to die? There was no way that he would go along with Ben and Tarick. The Dark Side's presence in the alley was nearly suffocating her and she wanted nothing more than to leave. Having spent so much time with the Jedi and in the presence of the Light Side of the Force, she found that she didn't much like being near the Dark Side again, a feeling that was so very strange and foreign to her. There was a chance that close proximity to the Dark was clouding Ben's judgment.

Shaking his hands off her shoulders, she took him by the hand and started leading him out of the alley but it was like pulling on a bolder. He refused to move his legs and tugged her roughly back to him.

Irritated, she turned to snap at him and caught sight of the hand she held when a thin ray of light coming from the only working light in the alley touched it.

Gasping quietly, she pulled up his sleeve. Veins that were supposed to be faintly bluish in color were tinted black, outlining his arm like webs. Turning her eyes up to his face, she pulled him closer so that she could see his face and her eyes widened in horror. The same black ran through the veins in his face and his eyes were a luminescent yellow.

"What did Tarick do to you?" she whispered, shocked that she could form words at all as she slowly raised her hand to his face, tracing one of the many dark veins with her fingers.

Smiling faintly, he answered, "I wasn't open to the truth. He injected me with his blood, said it would help me see things more clearly. It made me see the truth and understand that he's right." Cupping her cheek with his cold hand, he went on with a seductive tone, "We can finally be together without worry, Ves. Tarick and I are going to create a new Order. We'll finally be on the same side."

She couldn't believe it. To be on the same side was her dream, but this was a nightmare. "Ben…"

Leaning forward, he kissed the top of her head and took her hand again, pulling her towards the other end of the alley. "We have to hurry. Tarick is growing impatient."

"No, Ben, this isn't right," she argued, trying to pull her hand out of his iron grip.

"What is right and wrong, Ves?" he questioned, giving her a yank when she slowed down. "It's all a matter of perspective. In time you'll come to see that Tarick is right. Now, come on."

Frightened by his tone and rough treatment, she dug her boots into the ground and tried to pull away again, causing him to tighten his hold on her to the point she thought he'd brake her fingers. "Ben, stop it, you're hurting me," she hissed and her blood suddenly ran cold the moment the words left her mouth.

_"Easy," she breathed, heart racing while the hand that had been against her back sank down her grasp her hip almost painfully, grinding against her roughly. When he bit her harder than before, she frowned and repeated, "Easy. That hurts."_

_Either he didn't hear her or he didn't care because he became even rougher and his hand in her hair yanked her head back as he painfully sampled the column of her throat. Fear washed over her and she opened her eyes and pushed against his chest to get him away from her. "Ben, stop it, you're hurting me!"_

Suddenly she understood what that vision had been telling her with horrified clarity.

Ben's face changing to Tarick's, the phrase she'd just uttered… Ben was infected with Tarick's blood and was becoming more like the Sith – something she'd believed to be capable of in fictitious stories rather than reality despite her people's history. More terrifying, Ben was willing to hurt her.

There was just one part of the vision missing. The part when he reached out to strangle her.

If she went with him, she knew in her heart that she was as good as dead.

Upon hearing her words, Ben released her hand, looking horrified, and for the briefest second the yellow in his eyes gave way to blue. "Ves… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you," he apologized quietly. "Just come with me," he pleaded. "This is what you wanted, remember? You wanted to be on the same side so that we can be together."

She wanted to go with him, to be with him, but she couldn't make herself move. This wasn't her Ben. This man wasn't Ben at all. He was something else, something twisted.

Gathering her strength, she shook her head and took a step away from him. "No," she whispered brokenly.

His face hardened, all traces of blue in his eyes gone, and she saw in the faint light that his hands had formed fists at his sides. "What did you say?" he demanded quietly.

Taking a breath, she said with more conviction, "I said, no. I'm not going with you. This isn't you, Ben. Tarick's poisoned you."

"Poisoned me?" Ben exclaimed with a harsh laugh. "Ves, I'm fine. He helped me to see the truth, that's all."

"And the only way for you to see the truth was by him attacking you in the alley beside _Fine Twi'lek Dining_ and infecting you with his blood?" she asked, arching a brow. It was so absurd that she breathed out a humorless laugh. "Doesn't that sound a little extreme to you?"

"Perhaps," he admitted after a moment. "But it had to be done."

She couldn't believe this. "You need help, Ben. Force knows what that blood is doing to you. I mean, it's someone else's _blood _for Sith sake! That alone is dangerous. You could get sick or even die!" She knew the stories of how the Sith had poisoned the opposing Keshiri, how the blood of another posed little real harm for some reason. The Darkness in the blood, however, was what was truly dangerous. Ben would be lucky if he didn't go insane, or worse, die.

"You're trying to confuse me," he declared angrily and advanced towards her. "You'll see things our way soon enough."

"She said no, Ben," said a stern voice of a third party.

Throwing a glance over her shoulder, Vestara saw Luke coming from the shadows behind her.

"You certainly took your time," she grumbled to the Grand Master Jedi.

Ben looked at his father in disbelief. "No… I've hidden myself! How did you find me?"

Instead of Luke answering, it was Vestara. Keeping her eyes on Ben, she pulled the comlink from her pocket and held it up. "I switched it on to speak with him when you grabbed me, but I never turned it off. Your father heard everything." Putting it back, she swallowed the hurt she felt. "I'm sorry."

Ben stared at her with sadness and anger. "When you mentioned the restaurant we're next to… you were telling him where we are." All sadness left him, and hate and anger radiated off him in waves that sent a chill down her spine. "You betrayed me."

Her heart broke but she didn't let it get to her. This wasn't Ben. He made that perfectly clear when he activated his lightsaber and attacked.

Both Vestara and Luke activated their own, fending off the corrupted Jedi's rage filled strikes. Neither she nor Luke wanted to hurt or kill Ben, but they weren't just going to bend over and let him strike them down either. Ducking under the blue lightsaber before it could decapitate her, Luke stepped in and blocked the blade with his green one before it could reach him.

Dropping to the ground, she spun and kicked Ben's legs out from under him and he fell to his back.

In a defensive position, Luke stared at his son. "This is exactly what you wanted to avoid, Ben! Fight this!"

Growling in anger, he jumped to his feet and lunged toward them.

Working together to fend off Ben's attack, Vestara blocked the back of the alley where he'd tried to take her while Luke blocked the front, keeping Ben boxed in. When she lunged at him, intent on cutting his lightsaber in half, he sent a massive Force push her way that sent her flying into a dumpster.

Hissing in pain, she got to her feet and made to get back in the fight.

Seeing her out of the corner of his eye, Ben back flipped in her direction. The moment he landed in front of her, he kicked her with great force in the abdomen. She lost her breath from the force of the kick and doubled over, willing to bet that she had a cracked rib given the sharp pain the erupted from the action. She didn't have a chance to recover, still hunched over holding her side. Before she had a chance to catch her breath, Ben was behind her, his arm wielding his lightsaber going around her waist and holding her against him while his free hand grabbed her wrist that held her own lightsaber. In the next second, her lightsaber was mere inches from her throat, the red blade hot against her neck.

Luke instantly stopped his advances on him and, though he kept his lightsaber activated, he held his other hand up, palm open. "Take it easy, Ben. You don't want to hurt her."

"You're right, I don't," Ben agreed through his teeth, slowly backing up towards the end of the alley with Vestara. "But I will if you don't back off."

Forcing tears from forming in her eyes, she kept calm and didn't struggle. Thinking quick, she spoke gently, "Let go of me, Ben."

"Why? So you can run away from me?" He shook his head. "No, you're coming with me."

"This isn't something you can force on me," she reasoned softly, soothingly. "I need time to consider this. To think."

"You're messing with me."

"No, I'm not," she said, surprising herself by how truthful she sounded. "You know how much stress I've been under with my father and the rest of the Sith out to get me, with this seemingly endless hunt for Abeloth, and you scared me earlier when I couldn't sense you. Don't you think the stress I'm under could impair my judgment? Make me frightened of too much change all at once?"

His retreat slowed as he considered her words. "How am I to know that you won't try to get far away from me?"

Keeping her movements slow, she thumbed off her lightsaber and was relieved when he didn't activate it again or react with hostility. Throwing a look to Luke that told him not to do anything, she turned carefully until she was facing Ben and had to force herself not to flinch upon seeing the dark veins and yellow eyes. Rising to her toes, she placed a kiss on his lips, slow and deep, which he instantly returned. Pulling away, she whispered, "Because I love you. Once I can see past my stress, I'll be more open to going with you. All I ask is that you give me that chance, please."

Slowly, relief reached his eyes and he nodded. "I can't stay here and wait for you to be ready." Touching his forehead to hers, he said, "One week. I'll give you one week to sort out the stress you're under. At the end of the week, I will contact you to get your answer. I pray your answer is positive, Ves. I don't want to have to come and find you."

The unmasked threat make her tremble fearfully. She'd hoped that he would stay and that somehow she and Luke would able to help him, but his tone suggested that there would be no negotiating and that she would have to let him go.

Sighing, she nodded. "One week, no longer."

After an agonizing second, Ben let her go and started backing away without her, his eyes turning back to his father. "I don't want to have to kill you, Dad. Please try to understand that what Tarick and I are doing is right."

With forced optimism, Luke said, "I will try. Be careful, Ben, and may the Force be with you."

Ben didn't return the words.

Without another word, he was gone, running out of the alley.

Staring at where he'd been standing, Vestara couldn't help but feel as though she'd failed. She should have tried to get him to stay, tried to convince him to stay with her.

As though reading her thoughts, Luke's hand landed on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. Looking up at him, she saw the sadness and worry in his eyes. "There was nothing either of us could have done, Vestara. All we can do is prepare for what we are going to have to do by the end of the week."

Swallowing her guilt and frustration, she nodded.

Leading her out of the alley, he said, "I need you to tell me everything you know about why Tarick injected Ben with his blood."

* * *

_**Coffee keeps me awake to write, but reviews keep me motivated to write!**_

**A/N: **_**The next chapter will explain the Sith blood in much more detail.**_


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